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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25127032">Seraph (To Save the Realms)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Bentley/pseuds/The_Bentley'>The_Bentley</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Transformations 'Verse [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman &amp; Terry Pratchett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anal Sex, Angel Crowley (Good Omens), Anniversary, Anxious Aziraphale (Good Omens), Archangels, BAMF Crowley (Good Omens), Blow Jobs, Comfort, Contracts, Domestic, Fluff, Heaven, Hell, Honeymoon, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), Ineffable Idiots (Good Omens), Light Angst, London, M/M, Magical Accidents, Marriage, Mental Link, Possession, Protective Aziraphale (Good Omens), Protective Crowley, Seraphim, Sex, She/Her Pronouns for Beelzebub (Good Omens), South Downs Cottage (Good Omens), The Ineffable Plan (Good Omens), Trials, Weddings, Wing Grooming, Worried Crowley (Good Omens)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:48:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>36,776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25127032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Bentley/pseuds/The_Bentley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aziraphale, a newly minted Seraph, finds he has more duties to perform in Heaven including being a leading part of an elaborate ceremony meant to keep Heaven safe from harm.  Crowley, the first demon to ever "Rise" and return to Heaven, is required to be involved, much to his annoyance.  This time, the ceremony does not go well and it's up to Aziraphale, Crowley and a handful of other angels to fix the trouble that results.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aziraphale &amp; Crowley (Good Omens) &amp; Original Female Character(s), Aziraphale &amp; Raphael (Good Omens), Aziraphale (Good Omens) &amp; Original Female Character(s), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Transformations 'Verse [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1354897</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>125</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. New Responsibilities</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A big thank you to my beta reader <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Euterpein/pseuds/Euterpein">Euterpein</a>.  She's been a big help getting this looking good after I've sat on it for nine months. Now go check out some of her wonderful writings and give her kudos!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aziraphale and Crowley find their retirement to the South Downs interrupted by Heavenly duties.  Aziraphale has a leadership role to play that he's nervous about and Crowley, annoyed he has to participate as well, tries to find ways to wiggle out of it.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This builds on the two previous stories “Falling with Grace” and “The Trials of Aziraphale.”  If you haven’t read those here are a couple of events that happen in those stories that are brought up in this story:</p><ul>
<li>Crowley Fell as part of the Plan and is back to being part of Heaven, sort of.  He considers himself a neutral party now even though you can officially only be aligned with Heaven or with Hell.  Heaven considers him “retired” and doesn’t bother him.</li>
<li>Evangeline, an angel of justice, was not happy the balance of Heaven and Hell was disturbed by Crowley’s alliance switch and sought to punish him by trapping him in Eden where his curse was activated and he nearly was drained of his life force.  He’s saved by Aziraphale but Evangeline Falls, returning balance to Heaven and Hell by taking Crowley’s spot.</li>
<li>Aziraphale got a promotion to Seraph.  He became one when he needed the power to defeat Evangeline and save Crowley.</li>
<li>Some angel and demon’s genders are different than in the show because I started writing this series before it even came out.  It would take some work to suss out everyone’s pronouns that need to be changed in this and past works in the series, so I am choosing instead to just go with what I have. </li>
</ul><p>If you want to read the material that led up to this one, hit the last chapter of "Falling with Grace" <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/18638605/chapters/44200522">here</a> and "The Trials of Aziraphale" <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/18744151/chapters/44462506">here</a>.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Autumn was quickly approaching, with the salty winds off the sea becoming cooler by the week and the apples in Crowley’s orchard ripening.  The late harvest in the vegetable garden was coming in strong, requiring both angel and former demon to keep an eye on things lest good produce rot in the ground.  Aziraphale was currently collecting several varieties of lettuce they’d use in salads until they were gone.  Nothing Crowley placed in the refrigerator dared to go bad.</p><p>Placing everything in the basket he brought with him for this purpose, Aziraphale headed back to the house to wash everything then put it away until it could be used in whatever they decided to make for dinner.  Setting the basket beside the sink, he turned to get a container to store the lettuce in and nearly jumped out of his skin.</p><p>Raphael was sitting at the kitchen table with Jorien, the Seraph Aziraphale most liaised with when needs be.  Aziraphale gave them a smile as he clutched his heart, feeling like he would have gone into cardiac arrest if he was human.  Raphael smiled and winked at him, finding much humor in the situation.</p><p>“Hello Aziraphale,” said Jorien pleasantly.  “I apologize for not checking in more often, but there’s been little going on lately.  Just the usual day-to-day happenings.  I do appreciate the reports you send up.”</p><p>“Thank you.  It’s no trouble keeping an eye on things down here,” replied Aziraphale.  “Can I get you two anything?”</p><p>Both shook their heads and Aziraphale joined them at the table.  “What brings you here?”</p><p>“I just wanted to check up on Crowley,” said Raphael.  “It’s been a year since the incident with Evangeline and his exile to Eden.  I think this will be the last time.  He’s healed remarkably well and I believe I’ve gathered all the information I can on repairing life force drainings, may we never need to use it again.”</p><p>“I’m here to discuss the upcoming ceremony involving the Seraphim with you,” said Jorien.  “Since you are technically a Seraph, you’ll join us this time and from now on.”</p><p>Aziraphale was taken by surprise and not at all interested in participating in any kind of ceremony ever due to a bad case of stage fright.  Ceremonies in Heaven tended to be a lot of pomp and circumstance with every angel either participating or watching.  He tried to look excited about the prospect as his heart sank into his stomach with the thought of having to go through the ceremonial motions, dressed in a ceremonial costume with all eyes on him.</p><p>“Oh.  Yes.  I had forgotten about that.”  He gave a small, nervous smile. </p><p>“Where’s Crowley?”  asked Raphael.  “I’ll go talk to him while you two discuss all that super secret Seraphim knowledge.”</p><p>Aziraphale took a moment to reach out to touch Crowley’s mind, feeling a caress in return.</p><p>
  <em>Raphael’s here to talk to you, my love.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Again?  Tell him I’m fine.</em>
</p><p><em>I’d love to, but I have an unexpected meeting with Jorien.  Shall I send him out to you?</em>  </p><p>He felt mild grumpiness in return, but Crowley was rarely interested in hosting guests from Heaven.  He soothed the ex-demon’s mind before speaking to Raphael.</p><p>“He’s in the orchard.  And will probably be a bit insufferable, but that’s Crowley for you.”  He shrugged apologetically to the Archangel.</p><p>Raphael excused himself, leaving Jorien and Aziraphale to talk.</p><p>Jorien waited politely until they were alone before starting her discussion with Aziraphale.  “You’re very patient with him.”</p><p>“Crowley?  Yes.  He is kind of an acquired taste, but I wouldn’t have life any other way,” replied Aziraphale.   </p><p>Jorien nodded in an understanding way, her upswept curls bobbing lightly with the movement.  “All the Archangels and Seraphim know what he is now and what he sacrificed to save us all.  Not one of them holds any ill will towards Crowley anymore.  But it’s still not common knowledge among the Choirs themselves.  They want to honor him in a private ceremony and pressed upon me to ask, but I know he’s been deeply hurt by the knowledge of why he was Created and the suffering he had to go through to preserve the world.  I doubt he’d be remotely interested in anything to do with Heaven.  So I decided to mention it to you and let you decide what to do with the information.”</p><p>“Thank you.  I think that’s something best not done.  Crowley wouldn’t take well to it,” Aziraphale admitted.  “What ceremony am I needed for?”</p><p>“The Ceremony of Renewal.”</p><p>The Ceremony of Renewal happened once every thousand years and was when all the Seraphim combined their magic to restrengthen the protections surrounding Heaven to keep it safe for the next thousand years.  It had been performed every thousand years since the Fallen were cast out of Heaven. All angels were required to attend because they, too, contributed magic to the spells that kept the Realm protected from harm.  Aziraphale felt his mouth go dry.  It was one thing to be part of the audience participation.  It was quite another to find yourself suddenly thrust into a leading role thanks to your unexpected promotion.</p><p>“Well then,” he gave a nervous smile.  “What do I need to do?”</p><p>Out in the orchard, Crowley was busy examining the progress of a ripening golden yellow apple.  He grew only older cultivars – russets, pippins and the like – antique varieties appealed to him for some reason.  Sometimes he wondered if it had something to do with Eden.  Or maybe his horticultural roots pre-Fall.  But he didn’t dwell on it too much, really.  Neither memory was one he truly relished reliving.</p><p>He had taken to not wearing the sunglasses when in private, which was a lot lately since they moved out to the country, although they did spend quite a bit of time in town and had become friendly with the humans, even though they kept them at arms’ length.  There would be no good way of explaining you were an immortal being who never aged. </p><p>Luckily their cottage was fairly close to three separate towns.  They frequented the closest resort town for now, but one day would move on to the next one for a generation or so then switch to the third, then back to the first.  As long as people’s memories weren’t too long, they would be fine.  London was easier to stay in because of its constantly changing large population, but they had both tired of London, having been there since the late 1500s.</p><p>Aziraphale had just told him Raphael was making one last visit to check up on his health, irritating as that was.  He really didn’t enjoy being used as a learning tool for the Healer, but it kept Aziraphale from worrying too much since no ethereal/occult being in history had ever had that much life force drained from them.  Nobody knew the healing process or if he’d totally recover. </p><p>Crowley gritted his teeth and conjured up a pair of sunglasses even though Raphael was aware what lay under them and didn’t care.  Crowley just enjoyed being difficult when it came to interactions with the few angels he had to tolerate in his space, Aziraphale being the obvious exception.  And Avira to some extent.  But she was cheeky towards her superiors and wasn’t exactly great at always following the rules, which made Crowley somewhat fond of her.</p><p>“I’m fine,” he said curtly upon hearing Raphael’s footsteps approached from behind as he examined some beautiful Golden Russet apples.</p><p>“Just humor me for Aziraphale’s sake, please.”</p><p>Crowley turned around.  “Only for his sake.  It’s been a year now and I’m healed.  Been healed for a bloody while yet you insist on bothering me.”</p><p>“Last time, I promise.”  Raphael motioned for Crowley to remove his sunglasses so he could place his hands on his temples to read for any injuries or deficits in his health.  He concentrated for a minute or two, searching for any small clue something wasn’t right, but thankfully came up empty.</p><p>“I told you so,” said Crowley tartly when Raphael removed his hands and he could resume his sunglasses.  “Tell Aziraphale he can stop acting like an idiot over this.”</p><p>“You can tell him that, yourself.  Why are you always so prickly?”  Raphael asked, a bit annoyed despite Aziraphale’s warning Crowley would not be in the best of moods.</p><p>“It used to come with the job description.  Now it’s just ingrained.”</p><p>“You can let your defenses down, Crowley.  We’re no longer on opposite sides and at each other’s throats,” Raphael’s voice came out gentle with a slight sadness.  “I’d actually like to get to know you.”</p><p>“I got screwed over by the Almighty and my relationship with Heaven is uneasy at best.  I’m never going to be friends with angels.”  Crowley resumed his inspection of the apple trees, vanishing any harvested apples back to the kitchen. </p><p>“What about Aziraphale?”</p><p>“He doesn’t count after all the shit we’ve been through together.  We were both more or less abandoned on Earth with only each other to rely on unless Heaven or Hell needed something.  Here.”  Crowley tossed an apple at Raphael who deftly caught it.  “They’re pretty good.  I have work to do.  Enjoy.”</p><p>He wiped his hands on his Bentley logo t-shirt before heading off towards the vegetable gardens.  Raphael stood there holding the apple, wondering if he should even follow or leave Crowley to his own devices.  He decided it was probably best to leave the ex-demon alone for now with him being rather insufferable at the moment.  Maybe later he could extend overtures of friendship with a small chance of having them accepted. </p><p>He wanted very much to help Crowley come to terms with his past as he was a Healer of minds as well as bodies, but that could not be done without trust.  As far as he knew, Crowley’s list of trusted individuals was extremely short and hard to get yourself added to these days. </p><p><em>That’s to be expected</em>, thought Raphael ruefully.  <em>Aziraphale’s probably the only immortal who’s ever treated Crowley with anything resembling kindness since he became a demon.  And now we all want to be his friend because of what he’s done for us.  Well, don’t we look like a bunch of jerks.  No wonder Crowley’s constantly in a mood around us.</em></p><p>He looked at the piece of fruit tossed unironically to him by the Snake of Eden.  Raphael took the apple to the porch where he tasted it, the first food he had eaten in Heaven knows how long.  Leaning back in the chair where he had sat down, he found himself pleasantly surprised by its flavor. </p><p>Back in the kitchen, Aziraphale asked the important question.  “Where does Crowley come into all this?  He’s not exactly an angel, for all he’s aligned with Heaven on paper.”</p><p>“He counts and will have to be there for the ceremony.  I’m sorry, Aziraphale.  I know how hard it’ll be to convince him, but that is what has to be.  Remind him he’s still getting benefits from Heaven, like protection from Hell if needed, to get him to see reason.  And he should have read that.  It’s part of his contract so he’s in breach if he doesn’t show up,” replied Jorien. </p><p>She stood up to stretch her legs by pacing the kitchen a bit.  “I fully understand his position but our hands are tied.  The magic only works if <em>all </em>of Heaven’s citizens participate and he’s technically a citizen of Heaven again.  It would be nice if there was actually neutral ground and he could be considered officially nonaligned, but that’s not the Order of things.  It’s one ceremony every thousand years and I wouldn’t ask for his participation if it wasn’t required.  You two saved us all from doing something that went against God’s ineffable Plan.  I, for one, wish we could just leave you both to your retirement.” </p><p>Aziraphale just nodded, knowing that Jorien was being sincere.  She was never one to beat around the bush, was open-minded and was very understanding of Crowley and his strange position in this brand-new situation.  He tried not to think of the fit Crowley was going to have over all this.  Tonight was not going to be an easy night with easy discussions.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>“Are you serious?” hissed an upset Crowley at the dinner table that night.</p><p>The two of them together had put together a lovely meal almost entirely made up of produce harvested out of the gardens, paired with a nice leg of lamb and some Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which tended to be quite an expensive wine.</p><p>Crowley wasn’t above wishing up money so they could have the best.  Aziraphale’s celestial wages were now a lot higher than they used to be, but Crowley demanded a certain level of comfort.  Aziraphale looked the other way as far as Crowley’s money-printing activities went because keeping him happy was more important than the slightly immoral act of creating your own funds out of thin air.  The angel reasoned it was not that bad of an act since it injected money into the local economy.  Crowley could have just as easily wished lavish items into being.</p><p> “Yes.  Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, you <em>are </em>technically an angel, just a retired one,” Aziraphale replied, preparing himself for one of Crowley’s little snits.  “It was in the contract you signed.  Didn’t you read it?”</p><p>“Of course I did.  Do you think I’m stupid?”</p><p>Aziraphale grabbed a piece of lamb with his fork.  “Not at all, and you know that.  Perhaps you didn’t read it thoroughly enough?  Jorien said it was in there.”</p><p>Crowley’s lip curled up in a sneer.  “I’m not doing a damn thing for them.”</p><p>“You are, Crowley, because your participation is needed to keep Heaven safe,” Aziraphale replied crossly.  “You seem to forget you’re getting some benefits here.  Mainly that you’re not required to act like an angel yet still get protection from Heaven if you so need it.  You can put in an appearance once every thousand years.”</p><p>Crowley laid his head on the table in exasperation, saying something into his arm that was muffled enough Aziraphale couldn’t understand him, but probably didn’t want to.  The angel rolled his eyes and went back to eating dinner. </p><p>“Skip it and you’ll be in breach of contract,” he said simply, picking up his wine glass.  “You’ll lose everything you bargained for including that clause you put in there for my sake.  I’m a Seraph now.  They could request my presence back in Heaven.”</p><p>“You’re going to be sucking me off every night for weeks if I do it,” Crowley said, sitting up before slouching back in his chair, appetite gone. </p><p>“If such sacrifices have to be made,” replied his partner, who wasn’t really seeing a down side to that threat.</p><p>For a while it was quiet.  Crowley pouted; Aziraphale ate until finally he became tired of the silence and spoke up.</p><p>“So, Aziraphale, what is it <em>you </em>have to do in the ceremony now that you’re a Seraph?” he prompted.</p><p>“Ok, ok.  What do you have to do?”  Crowley sounded irritated at actually having to care when he was having a good sulk.</p><p>“I actually have to take part in the ceremony.  You just have to do a bit of audience participation.”  Aziraphale truly looked worried.  Crowley could see it in those sky blue eyes.</p><p>“You’ll be fine, angel,” said Crowley.  “You’ll study your part, recite it perfectly and be the best one up there because that’s how you are.”</p><p>Crowley may have been in a huff, but he wouldn’t lie to Aziraphale.  Not about something Aziraphale found important, even if Crowley was too wrapped up in his own anger to ask about it unless prompted.  One got used to dealing with the ex-demon after so long an association.</p><p>“Thank you, but I really wish you’d learn some social graces,” Aziraphale replied.</p><p>“Not going to happen if it hasn’t by now.”  Crowley had gone back to eating.  “I’ll do it, ok?  But I wasn’t kidding.  You’re going to be giving an awful lot of blowjobs.”</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>“If the average angel in Heaven is unaware that I’ve returned to their side, how am I going to participate in this so-called ceremony?”  Crowley asked at breakfast the next morning, smiling triumphantly as if he had just figured out how to get out of the whole ordeal.</p><p>“Don’t you even try that,” warned Aziraphale, who stood at the counter making himself a second cup of tea.  “We do possess the means of changing shape.  You’ll just have to look different.  There are ten million angels.  You don’t have to worry about anybody wondering who you are.”</p><p>Crowley turned that over in his mind a moment before replying, “The sunglasses are going to be a dead giveaway.”</p><p>But Aziraphale absolutely refused to let him think he could wiggle out of his duties.  “It’s not like you haven’t used coloured contacts before.”</p><p>Crowley’s irritation at being trapped in this banged at the edges of Aziraphale’s mind.  With a thought, Aziraphale put up enough of a mental wall to keep them from invading his consciousness further, affecting his own rather good mood.  Narrowing his eyes as he noticed Aziraphale was partially keeping him out, Crowley shoved his chair away from the table before slamming through the backdoor, saying he needed to check on the fruit trees.</p><p>Exasperated, Aziraphale attempted to send apologies and calming feelings Crowley’s direction only to have him slam down mental walls as well, but in a rather rude manner.  Sometimes the mental link was more trouble than it was worth, especially when Crowley got so touchy about it occasionally.  He seemed to think it a major insult if Aziraphale didn’t always desire constant direct emotional contact, which was puzzling considering how private Crowley could be.</p><p>After cleaning up the breakfast dishes, Aziraphale headed into town to his little bookshop there in order to give Crowley time to blow off some steam.  A while back they had bought Aziraphale a small, practical car and Crowley dredged up enough patience to teach the angel how to drive it so he could chauffeur himself around instead of being dependent on Crowley for transportation.  He was most grateful for the independence, especially at times like this when Crowley needed his space.</p><p>“Bookshop” was actually a misnomer for it, as it had merely been a place to store his books before he had come up with his current plan.  He had bought it with the idea of moving his collection down here.  Later, Aziraphale had decided that he really didn’t like having his collection stored driving distance from where he resided and was in the process of rectifying that. </p><p>Upstairs, existing just beyond what looked like an ordinary door to an ordinary attic, sat a portal that led directly into Aziraphale’s bookshop in London.  It was a complicated bit of magic, but well worth it once they had thought of it.  It was too bad they hadn’t done so before Aziraphale started to move books around.  But since some of his books were still in the shop in the tiny village here, he had work to do.  Books were items he’d rather move manually due to their fragile nature than just vanish them to the new location.  He thought about making another portal to move them, but that was using a lot of power for something rather temporary.  It seemed better just to do it by hand.</p><p>He passed the time carefully packing up the treasures he had chosen to bring back to the cottage with him this time, then dusting off the shelves still containing volumes.  He silently promised them all he’d bring them all home eventually.  He stopped around noon to make a bit of tea in the shop’s kitchen and think about all that was going on now.</p><p><em>Angel?</em>  <em>Jorien sent down copies of the ceremony for you.  They’re on the kitchen table.</em></p><p>It was hours later and Crowley had finally lifted the walls.  Aziraphale had done so a while ago after testing the waters to see if the ex-demon had calmed down.  Now that Crowley was talking to him, he knew everything would be water under the bridge.  The topic would not be brought up again and Crowley would act like it never occurred.  That was the closest he ever got to an apology.</p><p><em>Thank you, my dear, </em>he sent in return, keeping it succinct. </p><p>He would let Crowley ask when he was going to be home and other such questions when he was ready.  That is how the dance went with Crowley’s sometimes prickly personality.  He’d probably get a reply in about two or three hours.  Crowley didn’t like to appear desperate to patch things up, even if sometimes he was.  Aziraphale loved him enough to forgive him his strange vulnerabilities.</p><p>He continued rearranging the shelves, prioritizing which books would be packed next and placing them in order so that packing would go more efficiently.  He just wanted this over with so he could really enjoy his collection rather than spend all his time trying to get everything moved and placed just right. </p><p>
  <em>Aziraphale?  I have dinner cooking, if you’re ready to come home.</em>
</p><p>Crowley rarely cooked alone; he preferred Aziraphale’s company in the kitchen.  They both had learned a lot about cuisine, how to actually make their own meals since moving down here.  It had been quite the bonding experience, leading to several romantic encounters on the kitchen floor and once on the counters.  Aziraphale was thankful kitchens were normally not carpeted after seeing the mess they left a couple of times.</p><p>He must be feeling anxious if he was willing to prepare dinner by himself to lure the angel home.  He didn’t handle being alone for too long very well ever since the whole incident with Evangeline.</p><p>
  <em>I do so appreciate that, my love.  I’ll head right home.</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Preparations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Crowley and Aziraphale head to London before the ceremony.  Meanwhile, Hell plots.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Bentley is in the hospital (non-Covid related). I'll be putting up chapters for her and any comments you make might not get answered for a while. Thanks. </p><p>-Bentley's husband</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Avira placed the carefully wrapped package on Michael’s desk.  He eyed it a moment, leaning back in his chair as if he could not get enough space between it and himself.</p><p>“It looks like a simple ancient amulet meant to ward off the evil eye, but it contains some seriously powerful black magic,” she said.  “I didn’t catch the demon who had it because they decided to escape by chucking it at me, but at least I got this out of the reach of humans.”</p><p>“Good job, Avira.  Really, the fake amulet is more important than the demon,” Michael replied. </p><p>He pressed a button on his desk’s phone.</p><p>“<em>Yes, Michael?</em>” asked his assistant over the speaker.</p><p>“Can you get a hold of Karael for me, please?  I have an artifact that needs to be stored in the Vault of Forbidden Weapons. ”</p><p>“<em>Sure thing.</em>”</p><p>“Thanks, Briathos.”  He ended that conversation and turned back to Avira.  “I’d like you to just stick around now.  The Ceremony’s a month away and I can’t risk having Trackers out in the field.”</p><p>Avira smirked.  “This one should be interesting.  Aziraphale the Seraph and Crowley the Angel, for all he pretends he’s on his own side.  So, how’re you all going to explain a former demon’s presence?”</p><p>Michael frowned at her.  “You need to rein it in because you’re out of line, but if you must know, we plan on disguising Crowley.  I thought you were friends with them?”</p><p>“I am.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t find this whole situation funny.  Would have loved to be there when they broke the news to Crowley.  I bet he blew a gasket.  Anyway, since I’m off duty, I’m going to go catch up on what’s been going on while I was gone.”</p><p>She rose and left when Michael gave no indication he had further need of her presence.  He exhaled as he watched her leave knowing she was, in a way, correct.  This whole situation with the Ceremony was going to be . . . different . . .</p><p>Avira poked her head back in.  “You all might be thinking about telling the Choirs at large about Crowley’s change in alliances.  I wouldn’t put it past him to just show up here silver wings, sunglasses and all.” </p><p>She left again chuckling at the thought of how the rest of the Host was going to react to that.  Michael just thought some uncharitable things about her cheeky attitude.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Aziraphale pinched his nose in frustration.  “I got the syllables wrong again, didn’t I?  I haven’t spoken Enochian in so long.  Nobody has.  Everyone speaks some human language now and uses translating spells to understand each other.”</p><p>Crowley smiled at him, waving the papers Jorien had left behind.  “You’re close.  It’s . . .” And he flawlessly rattled off a portion of the incantation as if he spoke the angelic language daily.</p><p>It irritated Aziraphale how Crowley picked up and retained languages as if it was no big deal.  Hell didn’t even speak Enochian.  What language they used shifted over time, depending on what was most useful for tempting.  It had been English for quite some time now – it had many speakers and was quite widespread in its usage.</p><p>“I hate it when you do that.”</p><p>“I know.  Now get back to it.  You just need practice.”</p><p>Aziraphale took a moment to glance out the kitchen window, push his annoyance back down, then tried it again.  Crowley was nodding with approval; he must have actually nailed it this time.  Forging ahead, Aziraphale took a glance at his copy of the next part of the incantation, daring to just plow on through it without Crowley doing pronunciations first.</p><p>“Pretty good,” the former demon said.  “You bungled the first three words just a bit, but not too badly.  More of where you put the accent than the actual pronunciation.  We’ve been doing this for hours, though.  How about a break?  I could use a blowjob.”</p><p>“Really, Crowley?  You’re going to ask for that <em>now</em>?”</p><p>“My cock’s in the mood.  There’s no accounting for its sense of timing.”</p><p>Aziraphale glared at him.  “You’re not a human male.  There’s no need for you to act like you’re rutting constantly.”</p><p>“No,” Crowley agreed.  “But sex is so much fun.”</p><p>“Yet here you are, still thinking with your small head, as the humans say.”</p><p>“Do you realize how weird that sounds coming out of <em>your</em> mouth?  You don’t use such language.”  Crowley was out of his seat and settling himself uninvited in Aziraphale’s lap like a cat.  “Now fuck me.  There’s something sexy about listening to you butcher your native language.  It’s not like you won’t have fun.”</p><p>He started to unbutton the cardigan Aziraphale was wearing, despite the look the angel was giving him that told him he wasn’t remotely in the mood for Crowley’s current antics.  Aziraphale slapped his hand away; Crowley looked hurt in return.</p><p>Suddenly Crowley’s lust creeped around the edges of Aziraphale’s mind, swirling around suggestions that Aziraphale attempted to bat away mentally.  But Crowley oh-so-knew how to play this game.  He didn’t make any move to drive his emotions deeper even though they both possessed the ability to do that.  He allowed them to sit on the outreaches of Aziraphale’s imagination, awakening similar feelings in the angel.  Soon, there was a physical response.</p><p>“You don’t play fair,” grumbled Aziraphale.</p><p>“Never have.  Bedroom?”</p><p>And that’s exactly where Aziraphale found himself, naked between an equally naked Crowley’s legs with his mouth wrapped around his cock, teasing with his tongue as he licked it up and down, stopping once in a while to lightly pass his teeth across the head.  Loving that, Crowley hissed loudly in response, trying his best not to thrust within Aziraphale’s mouth as that would end things.  His partner liked advance warning before that happened.</p><p>Aziraphale settled into a nice rhythm, sucking enough to please Crowley without taking it so far he’d come.  He settled in for the long haul, feeling Crowley tenderly stroking his blond curls until Crowley suddenly grabbed him by the armpits and pulled him to kiss him passionately.  Deciding to play his own game, the angel pressed against Crowley’s thighs, slipping inside of the ex-demon when he consented by opening them, gently thrusting as their hands wandered over each other, delighting in what simple touch could add to an erotic moment.</p><p>
  <em>Oh, you couldn’t wait, could you? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I wouldn’t complain, my love.  You received your blowjob.</em>
</p><p>Crowley’s fingers had settled on Aziraphale’s nipples, teasing them into arousal before pinching and rubbing them to heighten the angel’s desires.  Aziraphale’s steady thrusts stuttered briefly as his eyes closed with pleasure.  Not to be outdone, he took hold of Crowley’s cock, stroking the underside of it, coaxing him to orgasm.  Crowley’s moans filled the room as he thrust his hips, rocking them with such force, Aziraphale fighting to outlast him.</p><p>Making love was something extraordinary these days, with their connected minds.  The emotions of one echoed in the mind of the other, creating a closed loop of erotic sensations that was shared back and forth between the two every time they were physical.  The first few times it was so overwhelming, sex did not last very long as their bodies responded eagerly to their mental states.</p><p>They settled down after cleaning up the mess, pulling up the blankets to their chins and pulling in close to each other.</p><p>“We should just spend the rest of the day naked,” murmured Crowley, settling himself into the plush pillows he chose for the bed and cuddling up against Aziraphale.</p><p>“You just want to spend the rest of the day in bed, don’t you?”</p><p>“Maybe.  But I want you in it with me.  We can still practice incantations from here.”</p><p>With a thought he fetched the practice sheets from the kitchen table and waved them in front of Aziraphale’s face with a grin.  Aziraphale just gave him a suffering look.</p><p>“No rest for the Seraph, huh?” asked the angel.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>A week before the Ceremony, Aziraphale was in the kitchen making himself some tea after returning from an easy mission a couple of villages to the north, where he blessed a brand-new church discreetly in the crowd during its official opening.  It seemed an odd thing to the other Seraphim that he insisted upon still being Heaven’s field agent, doing mundane tasks better suited to less powerful angels, but they had no compelling reason to even attempt to understand Aziraphale’s love for his adopted home. </p><p>They did not understand that he still considered himself a Principality, a rank he was rather happy with, despite it being a rather low one, or realize that he had way more in common with his hereditary-enemy-turned-lover than he ever would with any other angel.  He didn’t even use his Seraph powers, which remained untapped since his fight with Evangeline to save Crowley.  Those four extra wings, which were just a nuisance overall, in his opinion, remained stored away in the celestial plane.  He only manifested his familiar two on the rare occasions he needed or wanted them out.</p><p>Crowley had always wanted to see all six of them, but stopped asking after seeing how uncomfortable Aziraphale was with the whole promotion. He knew that wings were not an option in Heaven.  You were on the celestial plane; therefore your wings were out.  It became the one reason Crowley was willing to do the Ceremony; he so badly wanted to see his partner with extra wings.</p><p>“I don’t know  . . . sometimes I wonder if I can resign from the position,” the angel was currently saying as he added milk to the tea he made before he put a generous helping of sugar in it.</p><p>“Why?” asked Crowley, who had come inside upon seeing Aziraphale return and was leaning casually in the doorway between kitchen and sitting room.  “I wouldn’t object to that kind of power.”</p><p>“Yes, but it comes with more than just power.  I’m on the Angelic Council now that basically runs Heaven.  I’m not comfortable with that.  There are eight Seraphim, each with an Archangel below them that help with administration, except the Metatron, who has a host of Cherubim to do his bidding.”</p><p>He sat with his tea at the table, looking troubled. </p><p>“It’s like the Seraphim are the presidents of the company,” he said as Crowley joined him.  “And the Archangels the vice-presidents.  Raphael got assigned to me since he is devoted to healing and really had as much inclination to lead as I do.  He kind of got out of it until I came along by being the Head Healer and that being priority over anything else.  Not that he has much to do as my Archangel, which works out for him.”</p><p>“He keeps trying to be my friend,” commented Crowley.  “But that’s beside the point.  Aziraphale, nothing has really changed.  You still do your work here, send up those scrupulously written reports, and get to enjoy Earth.  They really only ask for your opinion on the really big stuff.  You’re like a consulting Seraph.  And now they don’t order you around.  Isn’t it nice choosing your own missions and not having to deal with reporting to Gabriel?”</p><p>“I was happy as a Principality,” sighed Aziraphale.  “Gabriel isn’t as bad as you think he is.”</p><p>“I hated working with him,” muttered Crowley, wishing up a cup of coffee doctored exactly to his tastes.  “Plus if you hadn’t have been a Seraph, Evangeline would have pounded you into the ground and I wouldn’t exist anymore, so quit complaining.”</p><p>Aziraphale thought it would be nice if Crowley wasn’t so blunt all the time, but he took what he could get.  His partner meant well even if he wasn’t the best at expressing it.</p><p>“Besides,” added Crowley.  “You’ve got this whole Ceremony thing down now.  You have to go through with it just to show them up.”</p><p>“I’m not interested in showing anyone up.”</p><p>“I am.”</p><p>“I’m well aware of that.”</p><p>“Hey, they’re <em>my </em>teaching skills on the line here.”</p><p>“You’ve done wonderfully.”  Aziraphale leaned over to give Crowley a kiss on the cheek.</p><p>Crowley sat in thought for a moment, his long fingers tapping on the tabletop.  “What do you say we take an impromptu trip up to London?  Visit the old haunts before we have to report for the Ceremony?  Dinner at the Ritz doesn’t sound too bad right now.”</p><p>“Are we spending the night?”</p><p>“Why not?  Bookshop flat or room at the Ritz?”</p><p>“Room.  I see enough of the bookshop, as much as I love it.”</p><p>Crowley paused a moment.  “Ok, we have reservations.  I’ll go get the car ready.  We’re not using that portal when the Bentley could use a run on the highways.  It’s been a while.”</p><p>Crowley waved away his coffee mug and strode out to the other love of his life. </p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Dagon knocked on the open door of Beelzebub’s office and the Lord of the Flies gestured her in.  She slipped in, shutting the door behind her.</p><p>“They took the bait,” she said.</p><p>Beelzebub nodded.  “Good.  That means everything’zz in play, right?”</p><p>“Yes.  Although word has it there is an eighth Seraph now.  I’ve got scouts on it.  Also I tried to interrogate Evangeline about it, but she remains in that comatose state she’s been in since she arrived.”</p><p>Beelzebub leaned forward.  “How izz that possible?  The Almighty izzn’t around to create more angels.”</p><p>Dagon shrugged, a twitch of her cheek making her scales shine.  “I don’t know, but I’ll get the information to you when I get it.  I doubt it’ll change anything.”</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>The open road was agreeing with Crowley.  It had been a while since he had taken the Bentley out for a run on the highways of rural England.  He realized now how much he missed it as they sped at breakneck speed towards a night out in London.  Aziraphale didn’t miss it at all, he noted as he saw the angel clutch at whatever was in reach out of the corner of his eye.  But Aziraphale drove like someone’s grandmother.</p><p>“Oh, you wonderful piece of machinery, you,” he practically cooed at the Bentley.  “You needed this, too.”</p><p>“It’s a car, Crowley.”  Aziraphale all but rolled his eyes. </p><p>“Don’t you listen to him.”</p><p>“Are there any concerts going on tonight?” asked Aziraphale as they sped on, Mozart playing on the stereo.  There was a lot less Queen since Adam restored everything, unless of course they chose to listen to Queen.</p><p>“I don’t know, but it would be nice to catch one.  It’s been a while since we’ve been to the symphony.”  Crowley reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his mobile which he tossed to Aziraphale. “Here.  Take a look.”</p><p>There was a moment of silence before Aziraphale said, “They’re doing Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.  Want to?”</p><p>“If you do, book it.  You know I’ll be happy to go.  But do remember, Tchaikovsky’s all sadness and despair, though.  I don’t want it affecting your nerves before the big event.”</p><p>“I’ll be fine.”</p><p>They arrived just in time, finding parking close by because of Crowley’s unabashed use of his powers to create his own parking spaces.  Aziraphale did not say a word; he was rather used to it by now.  Instead, he took a moment to change their everyday clothes into something more appropriate to be attending the symphony in.  They exited the Bentley looking like they belonged there. </p><p>Slipping quietly into their seats, they sat there in miracled-up finery enjoying the performance immensely, Aziraphale looking calmer than Crowley had seen him since he was told his new duties.  The former demon reached over to take his hand, holding it throughout the entire performance.   </p><p>“You really did need that, didn’t you?” he commented as they strolled back to the Bentley where he opened the door for Aziraphale before getting in himself.</p><p>“Yes, I rather think I did.  Are we heading to the Ritz’s restaurant or up to our room?”</p><p>“I’m in the mood for room service to be honest.  But whatever you want.  It’s your night.”</p><p>“Takeout?  I suddenly want sushi.”</p><p>“Can I eat it off your body?”</p><p>Aziraphale literally put his head in his hands.  “I don’t even want to know where you get these ideas.”</p><p>Instead of pondering it, he directed Crowley to his favorite sushi restaurant that offered takeout where he dithered a bit over the choices.  Crowley chose his selections in no time flat, entertaining himself on his mobile while Aziraphale decided what he actually wanted.  Order put in, they waited for it. </p><p>“Put that thing away,” whispered Aziraphale in Crowley’s ear.  “You don’t constantly need to be on your mobile like some human.”</p><p>Crowley looked at him, slightly annoyed.  “You mean you expect me to actually talk to you?” he asked teasingly, but he allowed Aziraphale to draw him into a conversation about the concert they just attended.</p><p>Half an hour later, they were in the Ritz with their selections where they sat on the couch in their suite, the array laid out before them on the coffee table.  Crowley had supplemented the sushi with some Sake, slightly chilled the way it was supposed to be. </p><p>Aziraphale turned to him in a moment of curiosity.  “Were you serious . . . ?”</p><p>Crowley smirked.  “No.  I just wanted to see your reaction.  It was funny.”</p><p>“I’m glad I’m such a source of amusement,” muttered the angel as he popped another piece of sushi in his mouth.</p><p>“You still love me.”</p><p>“Yes.  And talking of that, any plans for the bedroom later or what?”</p><p>Crowley thought for a moment.  “Actually I’m more in the mood for snogging on the couch during a film.  You?”</p><p>“That sounds perfect.”</p><p>Pulling the blanket off the bed while Aziraphale picked out a movie, Crowley wrapped it around them snugly.  He was leaning up against the couch arm with Aziraphale leaning against him.  Crowley covered him with kisses.</p><p><em>I should have you practicing those incantations,</em> he thought at Aziraphale.</p><p>
  <em>Tonight’s my night off.  If you’re going to be like that, I’ll go make use of that large tub in the bathroom.</em>
</p><p>The film playing on the television in the background, they reclined on the couch, tangled up in each other while kissing deeply and romantically.  Nibbling at Crowley’s lower lip, Aziraphale silently asked him to open up which Crowley did willingly.  His serpentine tongue invaded Aziraphale’s mouth, but Aziraphale turned the tables by gently grabbing a hold of it with his teeth before sucking.  A small, erotic moan escaped Crowley’s throat.  The hand threaded in Aziraphale’s curly blond hair tightened.</p><p><em>I thought we were just going to snog?</em> asked Crowley, his lusty emotions throbbing in Aziraphale’s head.</p><p>
  <em>I think it kind of got away from us.  Sorry.</em>
</p><p>The film playing on ignored in the background, they slowly stripped off each other’s dressing gowns and spent most of the night exploring each other’s bodies like it was the first time all over again.  If they disturbed the neighbors with their passionate noise, nobody complained.</p><p>Crowley awoke the next morning with Aziraphale wrapped around him possessively, fast asleep.  Drowsy, warm and content, he prepared to cuddle in deeper then fall back asleep when he sat bolt upright, disturbing Aziraphale, who raised his head in confusion.</p><p>“What’s the matter, my dear?”</p><p>“I felt something weird . . . creepy . . . like that odd feeling you get when you’ve discorporated, returned and then found the grave where they buried your former body.”</p><p>“I thought you liked spooky,” mumbled Aziraphale into his pillow as he turned over onto his side, wanting to snooze a few more hours.  “And I’ve never sought out my own graves.  That’s just strange.”</p><p>“Spooky, yes.  Creepy, no.”  Crowley was wide awake and on alert.  “Something’s going to happen.  I don’t know what, but I <em>feel</em> it.  And I don’t go looking for my own graves.  It’s just sometimes you have to meet someone in a graveyard and come across one.” </p><p>“Well, whatever’s going to happen is not happening right now.  Go back to sleep.”  The angel tugged on his arm until he lay down then gave him a kiss on the cheek.</p><p>Crowley tried without much success.  Something had happened, or would.  Something important, ominous, and Crowley had just been given a heads up about it. </p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Crowley waited uncharacteristically patiently while Aziraphale dug through the latest antique shop they had visited, looking to add to his ever-growing Regency snuffbox collection, partially increased thanks to the ex-demon teaching the angel how to use the internet.  The snuffboxes slowly taking over the sitting room shelves made him regret that.</p><p>“You’re trolling again, aren’t you?” Aziraphale asked as he noticed Crowley typing away at his mobile. </p><p>“Perish the thought.  Trolling is for amateurs.  Gave that up a long time ago,” Crowley replied absently.  “I’m actually having a discussion.  Although it’ll probably degrade into name calling once this prat runs out of crackpot theories to throw at me.  Then it’s no fun because it’s too easy.”</p><p>Aziraphale just shook his head and picked up a rather tarnished but nice looking snuffbox, the first decent one he had found on this particular search.  He contemplated it in an indecisive manner until Crowley’s voice cut through his thoughts.</p><p>“You want it.”</p><p>“It’s expensive.  I want to make sure it’s a good quality one.”</p><p>“You know it is.  You’ve only been collecting the damn things since they were new,” he took it from him.  “Quit trying to talk yourself out of it.  This trip is for you.”</p><p>He headed up to the till, pulling out a credit card with which to purchase it, Aziraphale in tow.</p><p>“Crowley, I hadn’t decided yet.”</p><p>“You were dithering.  It’s in good shape and you like it.”  Crowley took back his credit card, signed the slip and thanked the clerk with a nod, handing the bag with the snuffbox in it to Aziraphale.  “One little snuffbox is not going to break the bank.  Let’s eat.  I’m hungry.”</p><p>They ended up choosing a small restaurant with outdoor seating where Crowley adjusted his chair’s position under the awning so that he could soak in the sun.  Aziraphale stayed in the shade where he perused the menu, debating between a couple of entrees.</p><p>“You’re dithering again.  Go with the chicken.  You always like chicken-based dishes.”</p><p>“What if I want to try something different?”</p><p>“Then do that.  Immortal I may be, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend my existence here, angel.”</p><p>Aziraphale ordered the chicken if only to shut Crowley up.</p><p><em>Let’s practice your incantations, angel, </em>Crowley sent, receiving irritation in return.  <em>Hey, it’s been a few days.  Just once to see if you’re retaining them?</em></p><p>Aziraphale complied, only messing up once.  Crowley nodded his approval. </p><p>Off the hook since he did so well, they chatted idly about books, ripening apples and other inconsequential but very satisfying things until their lunches arrived.  After a long lifetime of various adventures and misadventures, sometimes the mundane was a thing to be treasured.</p><p>“Are you nervous?  About being in Heaven again and involved?” Aziraphale asked Crowley. </p><p>Crowley considered between bites of the marinated duck he ordered.  “Not looking forward to it.  But I do so want to just show up there with my snake-slit eyes, silver wings and reputation as the Serpent of Eden, and let the Archangels try to sort the resulting mess out.”</p><p>“Oh good Lord, you wouldn’t.” </p><p>“See if I don’t, Aziraphale.  I used to not care, but I’m tired of feeling like that weird cousin the family pretends doesn’t exist and tries to keep everyone else from knowing about.”</p><p>Aziraphale steered the conversation away from that subject before he ended up with indigestion.   He honestly could not wait until the Ceremony was over.  They talked about last night’s concert while they finished their meal, which was much more pleasant than listening to Crowley’s possible plan to cause Heaven’s leadership a whole lot of headaches.</p><p>Paying the bill and leaving the wait staff a generous tip, they headed back to the Bentley.  The shopping, sex and dining were fun and it was wonderful to see London again, but it was time to head back home.  Duty called, but after the trip, Aziraphale felt much more confident about tackling it.  He wished he had the same feelings about Crowley’s part in all this.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Ceremony of Renewal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p><em>. . . [T]he air was suddenly too heavy and the pressure continued building.  The glass before them glowed a sickly yellow before cracks started appearing.  Several Seraphim staggered back.  Aziraphale snapped completely back to reality and started assisting others off the dais, escorting his neighbours to areas further away from the obviously malfunctioning column.  He ran back up to help another confused Seraph away from the column that was now glowing a bright malicious shade of amber.</em>  </p><p><em>Crowley was sprinting towards him.</em>  Aziraphale, you idiot!  Get yourself out of there!  Don’t worry about them!</p><p> </p><p>  <em>  The world went white.</em></p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aziraphale had an office in the Seraphim’s wing of the administrative building, but it mostly lay unused unless he had popped up to get some administrative work done.  Contrary to his office back in his bookshop, which was warm, inviting, cluttered and personalized with years of him living in it, this one sat stark, orderly and without any signs anyone even used it, except for one folder setting neatly on the desk.</p><p>Right now, it additionally contained an angel, an ex-demon and the full-length mirror they were fussing in front of in a rather complicated manner since much room was being taken up by not only the furniture and their bodies, but several sets of rather large wings as well.</p><p>“Screw this,” snapped Crowley irritably.  With a click of his fingers the furniture vanished, giving him room to move.</p><p>Aziraphale was looking himself over, smoothing out his robes as he critiqued the ceremonial outfit.  It was quite similar to the robe he wore in Eden, only of finer material, more gold embroidery and better tailoring.  This time he also had sandals to go with it and two extra pairs of wings, to Crowley’s delight.</p><p>“I look ridiculous,” he lamented as he stared at his own reflection, those six wings looking awfully crowded on his back, even more so with Crowley busy methodically grooming each one to his exacting standards.</p><p>Which meant every feather Aziraphale had on those wings was going to look perfect.</p><p>“You should pop these other four out and let me work on them once in a while.  They’re an absolute mess.  I’m not going to be able to finish in time without resorting to miracles.”</p><p>“If you need to, you need to.  Really, you need to be getting yourself dressed and disguised, too.  Please?”</p><p>Crowley was still running around looking like Crowley – sunglasses, silver wings, sleek skinny jeans and casual black long-sleeved shirt.  The door was closed so he didn’t care that he wasn’t in disguise yet.  He gave a dramatic sigh as Aziraphale said that because he was being stubborn and waiting until the very last moment before doing what he needed to do.</p><p>There was a knock before Gabriel stuck his head in.  “Hey guys.  Sorry to interrupt, but you need to get moving because we’re going to be gathering here soon.”</p><p>He was gone before either of them could respond. </p><p>“Ok,” said Crowley, peevishly to Aziraphale’s unanswered question.  “I’ll get ready.  But when we get home, those wings are coming out so I can spend a good, long time making them look presentable.  Miracles can only do so much.”</p><p>With a quick hand gesture, Aziraphale’s wings were significantly less dusty as well as shining white.  Another changed Crowley’s look to the point he didn’t look like him.  He exchanged the red hair for black, adding some length and curl to it.  His face itself was not as angular as it usually was, but rounder, softer with less prominent cheekbones.  He appeared shorter, too, and not as wiry.  Finally he had changed his wings to white as much as he cherished the silver hue they normally were, a symbol of his preferred position of neutrality.  His robe was white as well with a bit of gold embroidery on it, but not as elaborate as Aziraphale’s.  He actually now was glad that he didn't look like himself.  He hadn't worn white since his Fall nor did he miss it.</p><p>Aziraphale picked up the case containing the coloured contacts off a nearby shelf and handed it to him.  “Last touch.  I got green since you like that colour.”</p><p>“Thanks.”  Crowley took the case and stood in front of the mirror to put them in, then pulled Aziraphale over to work on his wings until they were called.</p><p>Aziraphale was escorted off to join with the other Seraphim, giving one last terrified look at Crowley before heading out to the waiting area.  The Seraphim were to have a procession once all angels were gathered in the designated place in their assigned Circle of Heaven.  Ten million angels were a lot to gather in one place, plus since they did not need to all be physically in one area to perform the spell, it was easier to spread the crowds out and use a spell to project images of the Seraphim’s part of the Ceremony over each gathering spot.</p><p>Crowley thanked the universe at large for the enhanced mental link with his partner.  He sent confident calming emotions along that link, hoping it would help.</p><p>
  <em>I’m still here, angel.  Just focus on me.  You’re going to do great.</em>
</p><p>Crowley headed off to the gathering square, meeting up with Avira on the way.  She looked him up and down with a smirk, recognizing his aura.  He gave her an exasperated sneer back, showing her how much he appreciated having to do all this.</p><p>“So they convinced you to disguise yourself,” she said softly as they walked.  “I had a betting pool going with Gabriel and Michael that you’d show up as yourself, secrecy be damned.”</p><p>“I’m doing it for Aziraphale.  If he wasn’t all nervous in the first place I’d so be here in all my snake-eyed glory,” he whispered in reply.</p><p>The two of them pushed their way to the front where they could see Aziraphale and hopefully where Aziraphale could see Crowley.  He hoped it helped.</p><p>“I shouldn’t like you,” Avira said.  “You’re the one demon who was able to outwit me and get away.”</p><p>Crowley shrugged.  “You spend thousands of years on Earth and you learn a few tricks.  It so would have been a feather in your wing to capture the Serpent of Eden and banish him to Hell for all eternity.  Too bad you didn’t.”</p><p>She stuck her tongue out at him in a puerile gesture.  “You would rub it in.”</p><p>He stuck his out in reply, showing her just how long and twisty it could get.  Avira smacked him on the shoulder, causing nearby angels to glare at them like they were errant children in need of a lecture on how to behave in public.</p><p>“Sorry,” she muttered.</p><p>The trumpets blared, signaling the beginning of the Ceremony.  The fanfare continued in a cadence appropriate for the Seraphim to march elegantly in through the crowd up to the dais where they would perform their incantations.  Aziraphale looked far from graceful and more than a little green.</p><p>
  <em>Breathe, angel.  You’ll do fine, I know it.  I’ll be here to help if you need it.</em>
</p><p>He got a small feeling of appreciation wrapped in a large amount of anxiousness in return.  Carefully he pushed all his love and confidence in Aziraphale the angel’s way, hoping it would help.  Crowley felt his partner had this whether he believed that or not.</p><p>On the dais was a large glass column done in a Roman style that existed to gather the magic produced and meter it out to the borders of Heaven to keep it protected over the next thousand years until it needed renewal.  The Seraphim circled it, linking hands as they did so.  Aziraphale took Jorien’s, glad that she was the one who was beside him since he barely knew any of the other ones, especially since Sandalphon was on his other side and the Metatron next to him.  His nerves would have been worse if he had had to stand there basically alone, linked to the two most powerful Seraphim in Heaven.</p><p>Of course Aziraphale found most of the Seraphim to be rather aloof and not at all interested in humanity or Earth the way an angel should be.  Plus, he didn’t agree with Heaven’s official view on the end of the world, obviously.  Yet one did one’s best and there were perfectly reasonable angels he didn’t mind being friends with out there . . .</p><p>But time to get his head out of the clouds.  The trumpet fanfare stopped now that it was time to begin.  Time to pay attention.  He felt Crowley insert himself more fully in the back of his mind, ready to help out if needed, for which he was grateful.</p><p>His hands moved in the synchronized gestures, sliding through the air in time with the other Seraph as the incantations came out of his mouth perfectly.  His confidence soared as he chanted each word perfectly, Crowley’s pride very evident in the back of his mind.  He noticed his partner in the crowd out of the corner of his eye, wearing that unfamiliar form.  Still he could see the hint of a smile on his face and that encouragement helped immensely. </p><p>Spirits rising, Aziraphale closed his eyes and let all that training they did together take over, chanting the words as if he had been speaking his native language for the last six thousand years while managing the accompanying arm movements without making a mistake in either movement or speech.  The first part was well under way.  Soon half of the Circles would add some of their energy as instructed then it would be on to the Seraphim’s second part before the rest of the Circles did their portion. </p><p>The Metatron was in the process of lighting some incense which he placed in front of the glass column while Sandalphon solemnly struck a chime eight times.  Everything was done in eights now that there were eight Seraphim.</p><p>Now each Seraph came up in turn, adding their own stick of burning incense to the initial offering made by the Metatron.  Aziraphale went last, glad to get the stuff out of his hands, although the strong scent followed him back to his spot on the dais as it wafted out over the crowd.  He could feel Crowley’s disgust as it hit the first rows of assembled angels.</p><p>
  <em>I know what you mean.  Try being up here with the awful stuff.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Don’t let it affect your concentration, angel.</em>
</p><p>“How’s he doing?” whispered Avira.</p><p>“He’s fine.  He just needs to stop acting like a dork and realize he can do this,” Crowley whispered back.  “All right!  I’ll shut up!  No need to poke me.”</p><p>He glared back at the irritated angel behind him, wishing for the entire world he could do something extremely rude in return.  Instead, he swallowed his annoyance for Aziraphale’s sake, facing forward again with a look of pride for his partner.  The angel was doing very well and soon, this whole stupid ceremony would be over with so they could get back to Earth where they belonged. </p><p>On the dais there was more chiming and someone on the opposite side of the circle whom Aziraphale couldn’t see was adding a few beats from a small drum to the chimes.  The Metatron had begun some kind of chant, a prayer asking for the protection of Heaven, the best Aziraphale could tell.  He stared straight ahead like he was supposed to, trying to keep his mind from drifting off to think of other things.  He knew if he did, he’d feel a mental shove from Crowley, who became irritated at his occasional inability to keep his head out of the clouds when the situation got extremely boring for him.  If he had been able to concentrate on a particular task he wasn’t enamoured with, a certain Serpent wouldn’t have been able to slip by him in the first place.</p><p>Time seemed to slip by slowly, made worse by the muzzy-headed feeling he was getting from that incense.  Crowley nudged him mentally, bringing him back to his senses enough that he got back in the rhythm of the incantations with their synchronized hand gestures.  It almost became automatic as he felt the first few Circles add their power to the column with the beginnings of the Seraphim’s. </p><p><em>Something doesn’t feel right, angel.  It feels just like it did in the hotel room.  If things start to go wonky, get out of there. </em> Crowley’s mental tone was tinged with a bit of fear and concern. </p><p>And Aziraphale felt it, too, like the air was suddenly too heavy and the pressure continued building.  The glass before them glowed a sickly yellow before cracks started appearing.  Several Seraphim staggered back.  Aziraphale snapped completely back to reality and started assisting others off the dais, escorting his neighbours to areas further away from the obviously malfunctioning column.  He ran back up to help another confused Seraph away from the column that was now glowing a bright malicious shade of amber.</p><p>Crowley was sprinting towards him.  <em>Aziraphale, you idiot!  Get yourself out of there!  Don’t worry about them!</em></p><p>The world went white.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Aziraphale sat up, ears ringing so loudly other sounds were muffled so much he couldn’t hear them properly.  Closing his eyes a moment he healed the damage to his eardrums before continuing further.  He could find no other injuries and could now hear the alarm around him.  Crowley had been right. </p><p>Crowley!  Where was he?  Aziraphale quickly sat up, panicked.</p><p>
  <em>Crowley?  Can you hear me?</em>
</p><p>He could feel the faint presence of his partner in the back of his mind, but not enough to evaluate his well-being.</p><p>“Aziraphale!  Are you ok?”  Gabriel was beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>Aziraphale stared at it a moment before snapping completely back to reality.  He patted Gabriel’s hand bracingly in return before going back to checking himself over.  “I’m fine.  I just had to heal some damage to my hearing.  What happened?   Have you seen Crowley?”</p><p>“The column cracked and we had a magical backlash occur.  Sandalphon and Jorien have it shielded and are trying to do some make-shift repairs, but we’re going to have to figure out how to repair it because we’re stuck here until we do.”</p><p>“Stuck?  What do you mean stuck?” he asked, panic rising again as he concentrated on boosting the mental signal to Crowley.</p><p>Gabriel gestured to his right where about twenty meters away was a shimmering curtain of energy reaching from ground to sky.  “Two thirds of Heaven is behind that curtain, as far as we can tell.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>
  <em>Crowley?  Where are you?</em>
</p><p><em>Aziraphale?</em>  The response was faint, but the angel sighed in relief.  <em>I can’t find you anywhere.  Don’t tell me you’re on the other side of that </em>thing.</p><p>“That happened when the column cracked.  Split Heaven right in two and we’re stuck like this until we can figure out how to correct it and fix the stone,” Gabriel replied.  “Are you talking to Crowley?”</p><p>The Archangel knew the look Aziraphale got when he was in mental communication.  The spell that bound those two together should have completely dissipated without any remaining effects when Avira dismissed it.  Why it didn’t was a puzzle to all of Heaven’s scholars, but now it appeared to be an asset. </p><p>Aziraphale nodded.  He paused a moment then blanched.  “He’s on the other side of that curtain, but he’s fine, thank goodness.”</p><p>Gabriel lightened up just a bit.  “That’s great!”  He caught himself.  “Ok, for this situation it is.  With you two’s ability, we have means to communicate with the other side.”</p><p>Aziraphale could see the benefits of that, but he’d still rather have Crowley with him rather than alone on the other side.  He hoped at least Raphael or Avira were over there as well.  At least they were familiar even if they weren’t him.</p><p>“Yes, I believe we do,” he replied, not sure what to say.  Instead, he concentrated on getting himself off the ground, which was harder than it looked with three sets of wings.</p><p>
  <em>Crowley, dear, who’s over there with you?  There appears to be three Seraphim here, including me, and Gabriel.  I’m still trying to figure things out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We have the rest of the Seraphim.  Metatron’s throwing a fit right now which isn’t helping.  I’ve seen Raphael and Michael here, but no other Archangels.  I’ll investigate.  What happened?</em>
</p><p>Aziraphale took a moment to fill him in.</p><p>“All right,” he said to Gabriel, finally on his feet.  “The rest of the Seraphim are on the other side and so are Raphael and Michael.  No sign of the other Archangels yet.”</p><p>Gabriel nodded seriously, and then looked over Aziraphale’s shoulder, shouting out, “Domiel!  Seen any of the Archangels?”</p><p>“I saw Ariel across the way!” Domiel shouted back pointing to the north side of the dais.</p><p>Gabriel called out his thanks.</p><p>“Ok, so we know where four of us are and all the Seraphim are.  We need to have a meeting once Sandalphon and Jorien are done with the column.”</p><p>“Crowley is going to keep an eye out for the remaining three over there.”</p><p>“Good.  Keep in touch with Crowley.”  Gabriel waved to get Ariel’s attention.  He always was the organizer of the higher ranks. </p><p>Aziraphale tried to keep the irritation out of his facial expression.  As if he was going to do anything different than keep in constant contact with his beloved partner.</p><p>Gabriel left to collect Ariel.  The Archangel of Communications sure loved his meetings, as if they were going to help in this situation, Aziraphale thought irritably, then put him out of his mind.  He headed over to where Sandalphon and Jorien were working, waiting for a moment to make sure he wasn’t interrupting important work.  Jorien looked up at him after a minute, sweat beading on her forehead.</p><p>“Oh good, you’re here,” she said.  “You can help us out here.  We’re getting basic repairs done.  They’ll hold for a bit, but we’re going to have to find permanent solutions here soon.”</p><p>
  <em>Crowley, I’m going to be working on the cracked column a bit, so don’t expect replies right away.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ok.  Before you go, I think you’ve got the rest of the Archangels. We can’t find anyone else.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Thank you.  We did find Ariel.  Good luck, love.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Same to you, angel.</em>
</p><p> Aziraphale cut contact and awaited instructions from Jorien.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Crowley had picked himself up the cobblestones immediately after the magical blast flattened the entire crowd.  Scanning for Aziraphale, he realized that about a third of the angels present were missing, replaced by a magical curtain that cut off a portion of Heaven from the rest.  It undulated with a sickly magenta light, stretching up into the far reaches of the sky looking like a sinister living creature to Crowley.</p><p>He panicked, immediately intensifying his search for his partner, ignoring the ringing in his ears and Avira’s desperate attempt to get his attention.</p><p>Relief flooded him when he heard from Aziraphale through the connection.  Only then did he turn to see what Avira wanted.  “What?”</p><p>“That’s what I was going to ask you.  What happened?  Where’s Aziraphale?”</p><p>“On the other side of that <em>thing</em>,” Crowley replied glumly.  “We’re trying to piece this together.  He’s got Sandalphon, Jorien and Gabriel over there.  We need to find the other Seraphim and Archangels.”</p><p>Avira looked around into the chaos.  Raphael’s long light brown hair stood out as he checked over the injured.  “We’ve got Raph.  And five of the Seraphim are over by the curtain trying to do something.”</p><p>“Aziraphale says the column thingy was damaged somehow in the explosion or whatever that was.  I saw Michael around here somewhere, too.”</p><p>They poked around a bit, trying to figure out the situation with Crowley passing on what little they gleaned to Aziraphale until Aziraphale cut contact briefly to help out with fixing the broken column.  Crowley, sighed, steeling himself for the idea of being alone during that time.  Hopefully it didn’t take too long.</p><p>The Metatron, looking very angry, strode forcefully up to the pair, pointing at Crowley.  “You.  Aziraphale’s office.  Now.  We need to talk.”</p><p>“All right.  See you there.”  Crowley disappeared with a snap of his fingers.</p><p>“Not a word,” the Metatron snarled at Avira.  “And why don’t you make yourself useful scanning the borders of the Realm for any demons trying to invade.”</p><p>“Yes, sir,” she replied meekly before flying off.</p><p>A block away in Aziraphale’s office, where he restored the furniture so he could seat himself behind the desk, Crowley waited with his feet propped on top of it.  Several minutes later the Metatron still hadn’t shown up, so Crowley suspected he walked instead of transporting.  It was a power play and Crowley knew very well that the Metatron wanted him cooling his heels.  Instead of getting more irritated by the situation, he closed his eyes, controlled his breathing and forced himself to relax.  Something tickled at his powers’ senses.  Something familiar from his past life.  Hellish magic.  He knew it.</p><p>The door banged open, slamming shut a moment later.  Crowley cracked an eye open to see the Metatron standing before him barely containing his anger.</p><p>“What have you done, demon?” the Seraph demanded.</p><p>“I’m not a demon and I haven’t done a damn thing.  I didn’t even want to be part of this Ceremony of yours,” Crowley replied as coolly as he could manage.  “Unless you’re going to say something constructive, I suggest you just shut it because I just sensed Hell’s meddling here and I’m attempting to track it down.”</p><p>“That’s easy to do since you put it there.  Give me one reason why I shouldn’t have you arrested.”</p><p>Crowley couldn’t control his temper any longer.  It flared along with his aura.  “Maybe <em>you </em>need a reminder of my divinity.  If I recall it’s stronger than the divinity of any other angel, even yours.  Would a demon have that, you idiot?  You know very well it can’t be faked.  And you fail to take into consideration my partner, who is and always has been an angel.  Would I risk Aziraphale’s safety plotting for Hell?  How many times have I saved him when I could have just let him get discorporated or outright permanently killed?  Use your head for once.”</p><p>The Metatron was almost knocked over by the holiness coming off of Crowley, but he persisted.  “There has never been a demon who returned to divinity.  I shouldn’t have trusted that memo on my desk that one day. There was no way it came from the Almighty.”</p><p>“I was never truly a demon and I never lost my divinity,” Crowley stood up and pushed past him.  “I don’t have time for this.  We have work to do and it starts with finding the source of that Hellish magic.  Now you either help me or stay out of my way.”</p><p>“How <em>dare </em>you talk to me in such a manner!”</p><p>“I don’t care if you’re the head Seraph around here because I don’t owe you any allegiance as a neutral party.  What I do, I do for Aziraphale.”</p><p>Crowley shimmered for a moment, returning to his familiar form of tall, thin and red-haired, keeping the white wings and coloured contacts.  He had changed out of the ceremonial robes and into a pair of dark grey skinny jeans with a lighter grey long-sleeved shirt.</p><p>“You can’t go out looking like that.  The Choirs don’t know.”</p><p>Crowley shrugged.  “Angels notice my eyes, not my looks.  Nobody’ll realize it’s the Serpent of Eden.  Where do you keep the infernal artifacts you’d rather Hell didn’t get their grubby hands on?”</p><p>“I will not give you such information, demon.”</p><p>“Fine, I’ll ask someone else.  From my understanding, the rest of your lot who know about me switching alliances believe it’s sanctioned by God and have accepted me.  I’m sure you’re not the only one who knows where it is.  And I need access.  That’s the most logical place for something still containing infernal magic to be.  I spent thousands of years attuned to such kinds of magics and I can still feel them.”</p><p>Crowley tried to sweep past him, only to be grabbed by the shoulder.  “I will not have it!  Not anymore.  God forgive my mistake.”</p><p>The Metatron’s fist began to glow with the unmistakable energy associated with smiting.  Crowley shrank back, feeling real terror for the first time since Adam Young had set eyes on him at the Tadfield Airbase and had picked everything he was and had done directly out of his mind. </p><p>“Metatron, let him go.  He can be trusted.  He would never do anything to hurt Aziraphale and Aziraphale’s on the other side with that cracked column,” called one of the other Seraphim.</p><p>The four other Seraphim who remained on this side of the curtain were standing crowded in the doorway, Raphael and Michael behind them.  Sneering at them, the Metatron knocked Crowley out with a blow to the jaw, catching his limp form before he hit the floor and disappeared, taking the unconscious ex-demon with him.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I didn't make Gabriel into a raging dick in this.  He's pompous as hell and can get under your skin, but he's tolerable enough on a shallow level.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. War Footing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>Outside, the crunching sound of boots on gravel drifted faintly in.  Crowley paled.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>  <em>“Hell’s sent up scouts.  They’ll be more than happy to pillage this place to use in their war.  Angel, we have to put these weapons in a bubble dimension . . ."</em></p><p> </p><p>Is Hell planning on invading Heaven?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Dammit!” swore one of the Seraphim, a woman-shaped being by the name of Raziel.  “He could be anywhere.”</p><p>“We’d better get searching before he tries to do something to Crowley,” replied Michael.  “He can’t get to the Justice Center with its cells since that’s behind the curtain.  I’d say check his office, the old armory the Demon Trackers are using as an office because that’s out of the way . . . um . . .”</p><p>“Eden’s still on this side.  A couple of us should head there,” someone said quietly.</p><p>“You need to get there, Raphael,” said Jophiel, another Seraph.  “I’ll go with you.”</p><p>They disappeared while the rest discussed other possible locations, before transporting off in pairs.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Crowley awoke on grass, sitting up in immediate panic as thoughts of his last visit to Eden passed through his mind.  Calming himself, he realized that his life force was not escaping his body, his mind relaxing immediately.  He looked around to find the Metatron bending over the stream they were near filling a vial with water.</p><p>Stretching out tendrils of magic, Crowley discovered they were still in Heaven, in some kind of little celestial park.  Looking around, he noticed aesthetically placed flower beds in bloom, carefully laid trails and benches scattered in a pleasing pattern here and there for angels to sit on.  He stood up, still a bit woozy with a cheek that felt bruised from being punched, but he had better things to do than play silly buggers with the Metatron.</p><p>“You’re not going anywhere.”</p><p>Crowley felt an invisible hand push him down.  He landed on his arse on the hard ground, wincing a bit.  Temper flaring, he glared at the Seraph who was blessing the water now.  Oh, for the sake of this blasted place, would that wanker not listen to reason? </p><p>“Holy water isn't going to do a damn thing.  I’m technically an angel,” replied Crowley, holding out his hand to the Metatron.  “Go ahead, dump the whole vial on me.”</p><p>Looking warily at him, the Seraph hesitated.  Tired of wasting time, Crowley grabbed it from him, pouring it out over his hand and forearm while wondering idly if the stuff would have ever harmed him since he was never really a demon.  The Metatron gasped as nothing more exciting than the soaking of Crowley’s arm occurred.</p><p>“I’m truly not worthy,” he muttered, making gestures Crowley wasn’t familiar with but might have been some kind of obeisance to the Almighty.  “I didn’t believe fully it was Her.”</p><p>“Yes . . . well . . .” said Crowley, standing back up.  “We really have an emergency to get back to, so if you just excuse me.”</p><p>He started to walk away warily, not ready to trust that nothing else weird was going to happen to him today at the hands of some barking mad Seraph.  He didn’t get very far before the Metatron was at his side with lightning speed, laying both hands on his shoulders.</p><p>“You’re the one in the prophecy I was told.  You’re the one who will have to face the Forces of Hell.”  He dug in his robes, pulling out a small glowing sphere Crowley sensed contained an enormous amount of power, almost like the Metatron was holding an orb filled with the energy of a supernova.  “The contents of this will give you the power levels of a Seraph.”</p><p>“I don’t really want to be a Seraph, but thanks anyway,” replied the confused Crowley.  “I just really need to get going.”</p><p>“It won’t make you an actual Seraph.  Only the Almighty can do that, and God Herself told me that there would never be more than seven of them.  Aziraphale’s promotion was a bit of a surprise and will never be repeated.  You will be an overpowered Virtue, but you need it, because you have a lot of work ahead of you.”</p><p>Before Crowley could react the Metatron slammed the orb into his breastbone, causing Crowley to go rigid in response as it broke and its energy stung as it burrowed into his body, racing off through his limbs.  He fell over backwards, his spine arching with the feeling that his entire nervous system was overloading.  Crowley cried out in pain before going limp as he curled up on his side the best he could while sporting a pair of manifested wings, panting.</p><p>“What did you do?” he gasped between breaths.</p><p>“Only what the Almighty’s prophecy told me to.  She’s the only one who could give me a sphere containing such power.  It appeared on my desk at the same time as the folder containing all the information on you.  Said I was to use it on the one who needed to keep the Realms from going to war again.  The balance must be maintained.  You have all the tools you need now.  I’m sorry I doubted you.  Go in peace.”</p><p>Having said what was needed, the Metatron headed into a copse of trees to meditate before returning to the chaos of the square.  Crowley just lay there, allowing his very molecules to adjust to new power levels he didn’t really want in the first place, the flippant remarks made over the last year to Aziraphale about wanting to be a Seraph if the angel didn't, aside.  The last thing he wanted to do was save everyone’s arse again.  How was keeping the Realms from having a go at each other again connected to what happened here?  He rolled over carefully on his back to avoid damaging his wings as he pondered this.</p><p>“Shit,” he finally spat out, staring up at the sky above.  “Why is it always up to me?”</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Aziraphale sat back with the other two Seraphim, exhausted from the use of so much power.  He wiped beads of sweat from his forehead and looked over at Jorien, who wasn’t faring any better. </p><p>“I hope that holds because we put out a terribly large amount of magic fixing it,” he commented to her.</p><p>The column looked as good as new.  The problem facing them now was how to coax the curtain of energy back into it so it could be metered out over the next thousand years to protect Heaven’s borders.  Right now from the best they could tell, it was all concentrated into that magical barrier that sliced Heaven into two uneven halves. </p><p>“It should,” she assured him.  “We’ve fixed minor magical reservoirs with the same spells and they’ve held up just fine afterwards.”</p><p>But Aziraphale couldn’t help thinking they were minor, not some major piece of keeping Heaven protected.</p><p>“Has anyone investigated?  Does this curtain surround us so we’re trapped here?” he asked.  “Or can we head to Earth’s plane, and then take the long way up to the other side?”</p><p>“It surrounds us.  A couple of the angels checked already.”</p><p>In the back of his mind, the emotional echoes of Crowley spiked.  Alarmed, Aziraphale opened the mental channel wider.  <em>Crowley?  What’s going on?</em></p><p><em>You are </em>not<em> going to believe this . . .</em></p><p>Aziraphale listened, his disbelief rising with every sentence Crowley said to him.  As if things couldn’t get any weirder.  But the story from his partner did do one thing . . . his exhaustion dissipated, allowing his resolve to return.</p><p>
  <em>You are not doing this alone.  I’m going to find a way to get over there, I promise. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ok, but that doesn’t sound easy.  Good luck, angel.  I’m going to at least find the source of that Hellish magic.  Keep in touch?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Of course, my dear.</em>
</p><p>Aziraphale felt Crowley’s presence fade to a mere reminder in the back of his mind.  Letting out an unneeded breath, he got up to examine the wall of energy shimmering before him.  Thoughts could get through.  Could he become energy and make it safely to the other side? </p><p>
  <em>Crowley?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yes? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Are you near the curtain?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No, but I could get there if you need me to.</em>
</p><p><em>I’m thinking of becoming energy and trying to get through. </em> Aziraphale waited for the inevitable reaction.</p><p><em>No.  </em>Crowley’s response had the air of finality to it.  <em>You don’t know how badly that could mess you up.  I won’t have you risk it.</em></p><p>But Aziraphale was already using eyes and powers to examine the curtain, finding that it was like a net held together with molecules of energy and spaces between.  He reckoned he could navigate it the same as Crowley had navigated the phone lines when he was running from Hastur.  He just had to keep to the spaces between motes of energy.</p><p>“What are you doing?” cried Jorien as he turned himself into a being of energy and entered the wall.</p><p>She stood there panicked, hoping he made it through to the other side.</p><p>Meanwhile Aziraphale was in the curtain, dodging carefully left, right, up and down as he slowly picked his way around the magical energy that bound together to form it, always mindful of keeping the blank spaces so that he never so much as brushed against the web.  He didn’t want to find out what would happen if he did.  It wouldn’t kill him – only hellfire could do that, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t do extremely unpleasant things to him.</p><p>
  <em>Crowley!  I’m coming through!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>YOU’RE WHAT?</em>
</p><p>With a pop audible, at least to his ears, Aziraphale arrived on the other side, sweating, out of breath and with the recommendation nobody else do that unless they had nerves of steel.  Crowley transported in a moment later, running up to grab him up in a tight embrace.</p><p>“Don’t you ever do anything that stupid again, angel.  Do you hear me?”</p><p>The sound of pounding feet announced the arrival of Michael.  “Aziraphale?  Weren’t you on the other side?”</p><p>“Initially, yes, but I figured out how to get through.  It’s not easy and I certainly do not recommend it but . . .”</p><p>“No time for that, Seraph, we have bigger problems,” the Archangel interrupted, his formal language jolting Aziraphale back to the present.  “My scouts reported back.  Hell’s preparing for war.”</p><p>Upon hearing that, Crowley turned on his heel, stalking off before pausing and turning back to the crowd gathering around them.  “Then it’s even more important I find whatever magic they managed to smuggle up here.  I’ll put money on that screwing up the Ceremony so Heaven would be left unprotected.  Do you people bother to nullify artifacts before just chucking them into cold storage to rot?”</p><p>He looked through the crowd as Aziraphale joined him, finally spotting Avira and beckoning to her.  She came over.</p><p>“What?” she asked, looking from one to the other.</p><p>“You’re sensitive to demon magic after all this time of chasing the buggers down, right?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Good.  You’re coming with us.”</p><p>“Okay . . .”  Avira looked from him to Aziraphale who just gave her a “you know what he’s like” look.</p><p>“Where do you keep artifacts from Hell?” Crowley asked as the three of them headed off.</p><p>“The Vault of Forbidden Weapons,” she replied.</p><p>“That’s a pretentious name.”</p><p>“Hey, I didn’t come up with it.  I just add to it.”</p><p>Crowley halted suddenly.  “How recently?”</p><p>“Maybe in the last two or three weeks?  I don’t know!  It’s not easy to keep track of time up here,” she replied tartly, brushing purple hair out of her eyes.</p><p>“I think maybe you should take us there, my dear girl,” Aziraphale interjected as he felt Crowley become more irritated and sent soothing mental vibes his way.  It didn’t help improve his mood much, but at least he didn’t blow up at her.</p><p>“This way.”  And she took to the air gracefully, not waiting to see if the other two followed or not. </p><p>Crowley leapt up after her immediately; Aziraphale had a bit of trouble sorting out six wings, but got himself clumsily in the air, slowly following after until he got the hang of it.  Using a small miracle, he caught up to the other two.</p><p>Crowley looked him up and down as Aziraphale slid in beside him, a smile forming on his lips.</p><p><em>And I thought you were ungraceful with two wings</em>. </p><p>
  <em>Thanks.  I appreciate your support.</em>
</p><p>They soared on, the fields and streets of Heaven blurring beneath them as they streaked on through the sky towards the Vault, Avira having a rather sizable lead on them.  Crowley could keep up with her no problem as could Aziraphale with two wings, but not with the extra pairs he had to deal with in Heaven.  Right now he’d give anything for the ability to tuck a couple of them away, but that was impossible on the celestial plane.</p><p>Avira was landing now, alighting in front of a light grey stone building with a thick metal door protected with the strongest spells Michael could produce.  As soon as the Ceremony had broken into complete chaos, he had transported over to protect it as a precaution.  Normally it just had ordinary locking spells on it keyed to the angels with access.  Avira nodded at it, looking at Aziraphale.</p><p>“You’re going to have to undo them, since you’re the Seraph here.”</p><p>Aziraphale nodded, closing his eyes so he could visualize Michael’s spells better to be able to disengage them.  With a few hand gestures he unwound them carefully, leaving the vault ready to be opened.  As he did, he felt the odd sensation of Crowley watching through his eyes as well.</p><p>
  <em>Learning a few tricks, my dear?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yep.  You might need help one day.</em>
</p><p>“There.”</p><p>Crowley immediately unlocked and entered it, taking a deep breath as he did.  Avira was hot on his heels, with Aziraphale trailing in behind.  The ex-demon scanned the entire area, tensing suddenly as he did so.  He turned to Avira.</p><p>“Do you feel it?”</p><p>“Yeah.  Something’s not been deactivated.  Damn.  How did they miss that before they catalogued and stored it?”</p><p>“Maybe they didn’t,” suggested Aziraphale.  “Maybe it was planted and set to disperse a spell at a set time.”</p><p>“Oh, good one, angel,” said Crowley approvingly as he dug through shelves of dangerous weapons rendered harmless.  He could feel it.  It was so close.</p><p>“Oh my God,” cried out Avira.  “The amulet!” </p><p>She clambered through shelves towards a wrapped item placed high up off to the right of the door.  Still out of reach for her small frame, she summoned the thing to herself, flapping her wings awkwardly to keep from falling over backwards as she got back down.  She tossed it to Crowley, who felt sick to his stomach the moment he touched to package.</p><p>Outside, the crunching sound of boots on gravel drifted faintly in.  Crowley paled.</p><p>“Hell’s sent up scouts.  They’ll be more than happy to pillage this place to use in their war.  Angel, we have to put these weapons in a bubble dimension, but it’s going to take both of us.”</p><p>Aziraphale nodded.  Being closest to the door, he quietly shut it and put some hurried protections on it before vanishing half the items in the spacious vault elsewhere.  Without the right coordinates, nobody could get to them.  The exertion of so much power to get rid of literally thousands of items caused him to sway on his feet.  Avira steadied him as Crowley got rid of the rest of the weapons, leaning forward with hands on knees, panting as if he ran a marathon.  He looked up.</p><p>“We’ve got to go before they find us,” he whispered.  “You have enough power, Aziraphale?”</p><p>Aziraphale nodded and the three of them transported back to the square where Michael had rallied what there was of Heaven’s active army.  It was roughly two-thirds the size it should have been.  Hell was going to win this one for sure if they could not correct the damage done.  The Archangel looked up as they returned, a worried expression on his face.  </p><p>Crowley unwrapped the package, taking out the amulet to examine.  “Those bastards . . .” he hissed.  “This did exactly what it was supposed to . . . disrupt Heaven’s protections.”</p><p>Aziraphale looked at him, fear in his eyes.  “What do we do, Crowley?”</p><p>Crowley handed it off to the Metatron, who had reappeared in the crowd and approached them.  “Find a way to counter this.  If you can shut off the spell, the energy will disperse and you can at least get some temporary protections up.  And for Heaven’s actual sake . . . get those Demon Trackers to up their nullification spells because they’re crap.”</p><p>
  <em>Crowley!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m not going to sugar-coat it for him because he’s in charge or something.  Forget it.</em>
</p><p>Seething, he stalked off, Aziraphale giving the ranking members of Heaven an apologetic shrug before jogging off after Crowley.  He caught up with the ex-demon as he headed towards the exit that led back down to Earth.  Touching his arm, he got his partner’s attention.</p><p>“What are we going to do, Crowley?”</p><p>Crowley stopped, turning towards him with a grim look on his face.  “I’m going to Hell, angel.  Quite literally because this has to stop.  Something is going on down there.  Don’t ask how I know . . . I just do.  This isn’t like them to just attack Heaven like that.  It’s up to me to find out because isn’t that how it always works?  If I’m not sorting it out, then you are.  I guess it’s just my turn this time.”</p><p>“I’m going with you.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Why not?  We call parley and we can’t be attacked.  Both sides have to follow the rules.  That’s how it was set up in the beginning.”</p><p>“And yet Heaven feels the need to protect its borders with spells and Renewal Ceremonies,” replied Crowley sarcastically.</p><p>“Certainly.  There is always the chance of a renegade demon attack.”</p><p>“And in the history since the Fall there’s been exactly how many rogue demons?” asked Crowley.  “One.  And one rogue angel.  We’re the only ones to ever develop true free will since everyone else follows their programming.  Heaven puts up barriers because they don’t trust Hell even with all those little rules of engagement and each side with its own part to play.  Because deep down everyone knows that one side will try to get the upper hand if it presents itself.  I’m not handing them an angel gift wrapped and left as a present on the doorstep.”</p><p><em>My angel</em>, he thought in a private part of his mind.</p><p>Aziraphale stepped in front of him, stopping his march towards the border of Heaven.  “And what are you, my dear boy?”</p><p>“A former employee,” Crowley replied, stepping around Aziraphale.</p><p>Aziraphale grabbed his arm.  “No, you’re a traitor in their eyes.  It doesn’t matter your wings aren’t as white as mine.  I’m not letting you walk away from me.  I can’t lose you.”</p><p>Crowley brought both hands up to Aziraphale’s head, guiding him in for a kiss that felt frustrated and desperate at the same time.  “You’ll be in a lot more danger than I will, angel.  I can’t have that.  I’ll come back.  I promise.”</p><p>“Two Seraphim are better than one.  I know yours is just in power, but that’s what matters.  Hell has no Seraphim,” Aziraphale kissed him in return.  “Don’t make me pull rank on you.”</p><p>“You wouldn’t.”</p><p>“Try me.  Together or not at all.”</p><p>Crowley threw up his hands in frustration.  “Why can’t you do what’s good for you for once?  C’mon, angel.  Let’s get this over with.”</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>“He’s coming,” Dagon said to Beelzebub, after she knocked on her open office door to get her attention.</p><p>“Why would he risk it?” asked Beelzebub.  “I thought it would be one of the Archangels.”  She ran a hand through her hair, thinking for a moment.  “See him in safely.  I’ll want to talk to him.”</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Crowley and Aziraphale stood with their hands in the air, backs against a dingy brick wall, the swords of several demons pointed directly at them.  Aziraphale had shrunk back as far as he could, extra pairs of wings tucked up the best he could manage under his usual pair.  Crowley hid his anxiousness behind an expressionless face and his sunglasses, trying his best to look casual about this, as if having infernal weapons pointed at him was an everyday occurrence.</p><p>Another demon, looking to be of higher rank, approached.  “Take ‘em up to Lord Beelzebub.”</p><p>With a gesturing of swords they were off, Aziraphale trailing slightly behind Crowley, clasping his hand.  Crowley squeezed it in reassurance as he tried to keep his mental state from seeming anything but calm about this whole situation.  He wasn’t going to upset Aziraphale further by proxy.</p><p><em>Beelzebub?  Seriously, he wants to see us? </em>asked Aziraphale.   </p><p>
  <em>Apparently so.  And it’s “she” now.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh.  Ok.  Thanks for the update.  I had no idea.</em>
</p><p>They were eventually herded into a dimly lit office with a battered desk and a couple of plastic chairs seated in front of it.  The fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling buzzed annoyingly.  Beelzebub stood as the two were shown in.</p><p>“Crowley,” she said brusquely.  “And you are . . . the angel from the airfield?”</p><p>“Aziraphale,” he supplied rather coldly.</p><p>“What do you want?” asked Crowley, not interested at all in niceties, such as they existed in Hell, anyway.  “Why the scouts in Heaven?”</p><p>“Heaven broke the rulezz, traitor of mine.  We’re just returning the favor.”  Beelzebub sat down behind her desk, gesturing for the ex-demon and Seraph to do the same.</p><p>She eyed Aziraphale’s wings slyly.  Noticing it, he pulled them in even closer.  Hell’s second-in-command smiled before making eye contact with the uncomfortable angel.</p><p>“The eighth Seraph,” she said quietly.  “That must be a story.”</p><p>“I’d rather have the story on why Hell is attacking Heaven.  The sooner, the better.  I’m really tired of being in the middle of all this,” Crowley interjected to save the nervous Aziraphale further scrutiny.  “I’m supposed to be retired.”</p><p>“Your Seraph friend here should know.  He’zz on the Council, I suspect.  Ask him.”</p><p>“Heaven’s Council meetings have been rather boring, I must say,” said Aziraphale, although he looked like he’d rather keep quiet.  “Hardly anything as exciting as discussing declaring war on Hell.”</p><p>“There ya go,” said Crowley.  “Believe me.  That one’s not going to lie to you.  He’s lousy at it.”</p><p><em>I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not, </em>groused Aziraphale.</p><p>
  <em>Just play along.</em>
</p><p>The ex-demon fixed his ex-boss with a stare.  “What’s really going on here, Beelzebub?”</p><p>“Partzz of Hell are going missing.  We’ve lost nearly half of the Ninth Circle . . . it’zz like it’zz not even there anymore.”  There was a hint of panic in her voice, Crowley noticed.  “Heaven’zz using some kind of weapon against uzz.”</p><p>“Impossible!” Aziraphale burst out.  “There exists no such weapon.  You know the Almighty wouldn’t allow either side to have something of that magnitude.  What are you playing at?”</p><p>“With that tone, I almost believe him.”</p><p>“You should,” said Crowley, casually.  “But I’d rather Hell not disappear or the demons eye better real estate as much as I want to stay neutral.  So talk to us.  What is going on?”</p><p>“It all started about six months ago.  A small area of the Ninth Circle ceased to be along with everyone in it.  About fourteen demonzz disappeared and we haven’t seen them since.  It’zz continued, little bits at a time until now we only have half the Ninth Circle left.  Nobody’ll go in there anymore for fear of disappearing,” she said, tapping her fingers nervously on the desk.  “That’zz all we know.  What are you going to do about it?”</p><p>Crowley glared at her.  “I don’t know, but since Aziraphale and I are expected to solve everyone’s problems, I guess we’ll figure it out.”</p><p>“Can we see the Ninth Circle?” asked Aziraphale quietly.</p><p>“Be my guest.  Nobody will accompany you there, but I’m sure Crowley rememberzz the way.  Don’t get caught in a section that’zz disappearing.”</p><p>They headed out of the administrative building into the red-tinged light of Hell’s streets.  Aziraphale clung to Crowley’s arm, never looking more out of place than he did right now.  But slowly and carefully they made it down there, despite the odd looks from many a demon.  Crowley figured the word went out to leave them alone.  Nobody would go against Beelzebub’s word if they wanted to avoid severe punishment.</p><p>They made it there, standing on the edge and no closer.  Before them spread a city surrounded by a circular wall with occasional gates located around it for ease of travel.  The concrete architecture was severe and all the buildings bore damage, looking as if they would be at home in a warzone.  The red light endemic to Hell gave everything a sickly look.  Crowley flew up for a look, but couldn’t see far enough to make anything unusual out with buildings reaching up further than he cared to fly for an examination. Then he had a thought.  Clever humans and their technological contraptions.  With a snap he was holding a drone.  Pulling out his mobile, he did some fiddling that confused Aziraphale.</p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>“It’s a drone with a camera on it.  I can fly it over the Ninth Circle, it’ll send video to my mobile and we can sit here safely viewing it,” Crowley grinned at him.  “Brilliant, isn’t it?  I love humanity sometimes.”</p><p>“I’ll check for magic.”  Aziraphale closed his eyes, his fingers at his temples. </p><p>Tendrils of his powers floated out over the landscape, quickly disappearing from view.  He kept in contact with them, feeling a connection with them and the information they sent back.  Hell probably shouldn’t feel as sickly as this area did right now, but he didn’t know for sure.  Powerful spells were upon the area, spells crafted carefully to be hidden from all but those of the highest rank, and no Seraphs Fell.  Nobody here would detect it.</p><p>“Someone skilled put quite the spell on this place,” he said to Crowley as soon as he surfaced from the mild trance he always used to track magic.  “Nobody but a Seraph could pick up on it.  What are you getting with that flying thing?”</p><p>“It’s just gone . . . borders moved and everything,” said Crowley as he stared at the mobile he held.  He had no need for a remote, choosing to fly the drone with his thoughts.  “It’s like it was never there to begin with.  So, now what?”</p><p>Aziraphale shrugged, eyes wide with concern.  “I don’t know.”</p><p>Together they looked over what remained of the abandoned city seated in the Circle.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. On the Inside</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Heaven gains some valuable information about the amulet.  Aziraphale agrees to help out Hell while Crowley is required to return to Heaven, upset that he must leave his angel unprotected among demons.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Plugging the Good Omens Mini-Bang again because a hell of a lot of talented people put a lot of work into it to make it a great event.  My piece is <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25464568/chapters/61767346">A Delicate Dance</a>, illustrated by Kurikukun. It's 1929 and Aziraphale ends up possessed.  Now it's up to Crowley to save him and deal with the aftermath of secrets revealed . . . all while racing against Heaven finding out and with Hell breathing down his neck to take care of it before they're blamed!  NSFW.  Click on the Collections link on my fic to see the rest of the works in this event!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were getting nowhere with the amulet.  Spell after spell was tried on it with no results.  It wasn’t nullified, nor the energy curtain raised.  The Metatron stood up abruptly from the hastily conjured table where the higher ranking angels were working, storming off.  Raphael stared at the baleful object in the middle of the table.  Michael stood off to the side, staring at the curtain.</p><p>Jophiel rubbed his eyes.  “We’re going to have to risk it, go in and unravel the spell by hand.”</p><p>“That’s dangerous,” said Chamuel.  “Who’s volunteering to do that?”</p><p>Michael spoke up, “I will.  Raphael’s here to do healing and we can’t risk a Seraph with two on the other side and Aziraphale accompanying Crowley.” </p><p>“No angel is expendable,” someone else piped up.</p><p>“No, but this hardly counts as an exercise in expendability,” replied Michael, approaching the table and picking up the amulet.  “Let’s just try it.  We’re not getting anywhere with spells.  Raph?”</p><p>Raphael got up to stand beside him.  “I’m ready, Mike.”</p><p>Michael looked down at the amulet and concentrated.</p><p>Inside the amulet were angry strings of magenta-coloured energy wound around a raw core.  He reached in with a metaphysical hand and started unwinding the energy as it reacted furiously, “burning” him as he worked.  It was delicate going as he fought to keep his spirit from being damaged while having to take a hold of the strings over and over, as they broke easily once removed from the mass.  About a fourth of the string was unwrapped before he just couldn’t take the agony of the burning effects on his mind.  He cut contact with the amulet, stumbling backwards slightly before Raphael steadied him.</p><p>“Let someone else try,” Raphael murmured to him as he did a bit of healing to Michael’s psyche.  “That thing was starting to eat away at your life force.  It’s nothing I can’t take care of easily since it’s small, but I can’t guarantee it won’t grow out of control if you push it.”</p><p>Michael nodded.  “Ok.  Who’s next?”  </p><p>He explained the situation and Jophiel stepped up to take a turn.  The Seraphim removed about another fourth of the energy before Raphael stopped him to do some healing.  Chamuel got rid of the third quarter of it with quite the struggle from the amulet, which appeared aware now and angry enough to fight back.  He could barely stand after he returned from his turn with it.</p><p>Nobody stepped up to volunteer for the last part.  Those that had taken a turn each reported that the core got more powerful and more sinister the closer to it they got.  The damage done to Chamuel had taken Raphael a good half hour to heal up properly.  Raphael was, at this point, thankful for all he had gleaned about life force healing from Crowley’s recovery after his unexpected stint in Eden.</p><p>“No one?” asked Michael angrily.  “Three of us have stepped up to dangerous work to help restore Heaven, but none of the rest of you will?  What sort of leadership does the Realm have these days?  Our brothers and sisters are stuck behind that energy curtain while Hell sends up scouts in preparation of war.”</p><p>“I’ll do it,” said a quiet voice off to the side. </p><p>Michael turned to see Avira standing there, stylishly coiffed purple hair clashing with her traditional robes.  “A Demon Tracker.  A Power.  Let this be a lesson to you.”</p><p>Taking hold of Avira’s arm, he guided her away from the others’ hearing range.  “Are you sure?”</p><p>“I deal with this stuff on an almost daily basis, boss.  They’re scholars.  To them this is something to be afraid of.  It’s to us Trackers who are used to being out in the trenches actually fighting demons.”</p><p>Michael looked worried about sending one of his Trackers in to do a job the leadership should have taken responsibility for.  He seethed a bit as he nodded, giving her permission to work on the amulet.  She picked it up, almost immediately trancing as she started to work on it.  He could see the battle she was fighting with it, even from the outside.  Her face contorted in concentration as sweat formed on her forehead.  Her hands clenched the amulet even tighter while her eyes screwed shut.</p><p>“NO!” she screamed, then disappeared.</p><p>The amulet clattered to the table.</p><p>Michael stared at it in horror, unable to outwardly react.  Lightly touching it with his power, he felt her in there, trapped in the malignant core, beating her hands against it in a panicked attempt to get out.  He surfaced in a state of shock.</p><p>Looking from one leader to another he breathed heavily, trying his best to keep his composure.  “She’s trapped in there.  This is on <em> your </em>heads.”  Leaning heavily on the table with his hands, he prayed that Avira would stay safe until they could free her.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>A troop of demons marched by them, completely ignoring their existence.  Aziraphale grabbed a hold of Crowley’s arm in terror as he eyed the weapons each of them carried.  Sharpened metal in every shape from sword to spearhead gleamed in the reddish light of Hell.  Crowley absently patted his arm in a soothing fashion, continuing to fly the drone around the borders of the reduced Ninth Circle.</p><p>“Crowley, they’re preparing for war,” Aziraphale whispered urgently.</p><p>“I know, but I can’t do a thing about that. The best I can do is continue to work on this so maybe I can keep all Hell from breaking loose.  Literally.”</p><p>Getting an idea, Aziraphale again reached out with his enhanced Seraph powers, feeling all around for an energy curtain like the one present in Heaven right now.  He found it.  Its signal was weak, hard to pinpoint, like it was in a different plane.  He gasped.</p><p>“Crowley!”  He shook the demon’s arm. “The missing parts of the Circle are still there!  They’ve just been cut off by an energy curtain like the one in Heaven and, I think, moved to another dimension.  I can just barely feel them.  Try with your powers.  Let’s see if you can pick up on the same thing I am.”</p><p>Crowley eyed him a moment in the dim red light, his serpentine eyes looking even more uncanny here as he stared over his glasses at the angel.  Closing his eyes, he felt for the magic Aziraphale talked about, boosting his natural Virtue level powers with the extra ones gifted to him by the Metatron.  It worked.  He sensed the curtain there, faint like Aziraphale had said. </p><p>“Well I’ll be damned.  Again.” he muttered.  “This is some tricky piece of magic, that’s for sure.  How do we bring it back?”</p><p>“All this is because of that amulet.  It has to be.”  Aziraphale replied.  “ Let’s get back to Beelzebub.  We need information on that thing.”</p><p>They made the journey back to Head Offices.</p><p>“Spill it,” said Crowley the moment they walked back into Beelzebub’s office.  “That amulet is physically tearing apart both Realms.  I want to know where you got it and why you decided to use it.”</p><p>Beelzebub looked uncomfortably from Aziraphale to Crowley, sighing.  “Ok.  I’ll tell you.  It started last year when Evangeline Fell . . .”</p><p>
  <em> “I didn’t know angels could still Fall,” said the demon who brought her unconscious body into Beelzebub.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The Lord of Hell looked over the Fallen angel, quite impressed at her level of power and thinking she could be quite the asset to Hell.  Heaven’s own arbiter of justice.  Their replacement for Crowley was quite the welcome addition, indeed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The amulet that sparkled around her neck was quite a force to be reckoned with in and of itself.  Beelzebub’s attention was immediately drawn to it and she snapped the chain from Evangeline’s neck, examining it closer. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “The spellzz in thizz,” she breathed, looking over the delicate, green gem embedded in a gold setting with sight and powers.  “There’zz strong enough magic to seriously disrupt Heaven.  Get this to Hexezz and Cursezz.  Our best demons there need to be looking at what we can do with thizz.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The amulet was a good consolation prize because Evangeline proved to be rather worthless.  She never recovered from her Fall, instead sinking so far into herself she remained comatose, sitting in a chair in quarters assigned to her, unmoving and unresponsive.  Nothing they tried for nearly a year could change that.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> About six months after her arrival, Earth time, parts of the Ninth Circle started disappearing.  Many in Hell thought Heaven was taking revenge for Evangeline’s Fall and it was decided to strike back.  The Dark Council thought using the amulet would be the best way. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The demons in charge of Hexes and Curses unlocked some of the powers of the amulet, discovering it could disrupt the Ceremony of Renewal, rendering Heaven’s borders unprotected.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “It’ll activate on its own now that we’ve awoken it,” the head of the department told Hell’s leadership.  “We just need to get into an angel’s possession so it’ll be taken up to Heaven.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Beelzebub fingered the amulet, thinking.  She wished Satan hadn't locked himself away in isolation after his defeat at Tadfield Airbase; this was a decision she didn’t want to make on her own.  Closing her eyes, she made her choice, hoping it was the right one.  Pissing off Heaven was not high on her list of things she wanted to do. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> One of the more clever demons was chosen to carry it and conspicuously cause trouble on Earth, knowing full well they could be facing eternal banishment to Hell if caught by a Tracker.  They were given the amulet and sent off to do their job. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Go out there and make sure that amulet is found by the Trackers,” Dagon instructed before sending them topside.  “Satanspeed.  You can do this.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It wasn’t long before they caused enough grief among humans to attract Avira’s attention.  She was good.  Almost too good.  In a panic the demon threw the amulet and fled, praying to Satan himself that they would escape from her.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Avira stopped short when she felt the power radiating from the amulet, making her choice.  It was either it or the demon and that amulet was too strong to allow it to possibly find its way into the hands of humans.  Cursing the loss of her prey, she grabbed it and transported out of there. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The demon watched from their hiding place nearby, grinned, and immediately returned to Hell.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Wasting no time, they reported to Dagon.  “The Tracker took the bait.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Good,” replied Dagon.  “With any luck, the barriers will come down and we will have our revenge.” </em>
</p><p>“Are all of you down here thick?  No wonder I was able to get away with so much without you lot noticing,” exclaimed Crowley.  “Not one of you put two and two together to figure out everything started with the appearance of that amulet?  It took us about what . . .”</p><p>He looked over at Aziraphale, questioningly.</p><p>“Half an hour?” the angel supplied.</p><p>“Yes, half an hour.”</p><p>“Maybe a tad more.”</p><p>“Ok, roughly half an hour.”</p><p>“Doezz it matter?” interrupted Beelzebub.  “What can you do about it?”</p><p>“Why are we supposed to solve this?  You’ve got all of Hell’s resources at your fingertips and you’re depending on an ex-demon and an angel to help you out.  Why should we do anything?” asked Crowley.</p><p>“Then why did you come here?”</p><p>“We came looking for answers,” snapped Aziraphale, not liking the tone the Lord of Hell was taking with his partner.  “Not necessarily to solve your problems.”</p><p>Crowley’s eyebrows raised above his sunglasses.  It wasn’t often Aziraphale got stroppy like that.  Beelzebub looked helplessly from one to the other, a look Crowley had never seen on her face before, even on the tarmac of the airbase not so long ago.  She was afraid of what she had unleashed.  Nobody working with the amulet even considered it might take revenge for being disturbed.  Goings on were just immediately pinned on Heaven.</p><p>“But you’re here anyway and the problems are connected, so I don’t see why you can’t stick around to do some research since that’s what you’re here for,” Beelzebub replied.</p><p>“Really?  You really think you can hold us here without us blazing a path of destruction through Hell as we leave?” asked an angry Crowley.  “Go ahead.  Try me.”</p><p>“No, Crowley.  I’m not holding you hostage.  I’m asking you and Aziraphale for help.”</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Avira stopped panicking long enough to look around her environment. </p><p>A bleak landscape of reddish light and poorly built buildings surrounded three sides of her, with the side of the amulet’s gem serving as the fourth. Wherever she was, she apparently was simultaneously there and inside the amulet itself at the same time.  The revelation sent a shiver through her.</p><p>Peering into the distance, there appeared to be movement on the horizon among the hostile architecture of the concrete edifices.  Her heart leapt into her throat as the source of the movement came closer and she identified them as a group of demons.  She was going to get ripped apart if she didn’t get out of here now.</p><p>Making a run for it, she headed for the nearest building, part of which was split roughly in half by the curtain.  Hopefully she could hide there and continue her investigations without the demons finding her.  The sooner she found her way out of this strange place, the better.  Quietly slipping in the door, she waited and watched.  It appeared to be empty.  Taking a calming breath, she searched derelict rooms until she found one the gem’s side cut through.  Examination of it showed it looked a lot like the curtain that separated the two portions of Heaven. </p><p>A quick spell showed her it was made entirely out of energy, confirming her findings.  Aziraphale got through the one in Heaven, could she do the same here?  She had heard the story about how Crowley raced through the phone lines during the near-Apocalypse.  Maybe his partner borrowed that technique from him.</p><p>How did they do it?  By sticking to the gaps between electrons, maybe?  She’d heard of that before.  No matter, Avira had to try, didn’t she?  If it discorporated her, it discorporated her.  Anything was better than getting torn to shreds by demons, even if the curtain could do terrible things to her corporation.</p><p>Sucking in a breath, she reverted her body to atoms and penetrated the wall.  Carefully, she kept to the spaces, holding her breath as she wove her way freedom.</p><p>It was quite the battle, trying to keep herself from being sucked in by the energy net of the amulet that desperately wanted to keep her trapped within it.  She twisted, dodged, and sometimes even fought against wisps of sinister magic that reached out to try to grab an arm or leg as she navigated the open spaces between the collected energy.  Her heart pounded with the effort while she wondered if she was going to actually make it out or get thrown back into wherever that was that existed inside the gem.  The thought occurred that it just might be a portal to Hell.</p><p>She slapped away one final tendril of magic with her own powers, looked up, and saw the edge.  Only a few more feet.  Looking behind her, she could see the surge of power coming from the angry stone, knowing she had one chance to breach the wall or remain trapped within it. </p><p>Pulling a shield around herself in hopes it helped, she pushed forward with a burst of power, getting so close to the boundary she could hear Michael speaking just outside of it.</p><p>
  <em> Oh God, I hope I make it.  C’mon miracles, don’t fail me now. </em>
</p><p>“I don’t know what to do,” Michael was saying as he spread his hands in gesture.  “Part of me feels like going in after her to make sure she’s ok.  We don’t know what else that thing has sucked into it.”</p><p>Raphael was leaning over the amulet, squinting at it.  “It’s not solid.  It looks like the curtain over there.  I wonder if she can get through like Aziraphale did.”</p><p>“She doesn’t need to be taking the risks Aziraphale does.  He’s spent too much time in Crowley’s presence.  They’ve rubbed off on each other.”  Michael was looking at the Seraphim, who were holding their own council a bit away from the two Archangels.  They had been invited to join, but decided to discuss things themselves, as they knew Avira better than anyone in the other Choir.</p><p>“Well, it’s not like she isn’t reckless in her own right.  It’s why she’s damn good at her job,” murmured Raphael.  “But back to the amulet.  Now what?”</p><p>Michael shrugged.  “Your guess is as good as mine.  Maybe Aziraphale and Crowley can figure something out.”</p><p>“We depend on them too much,” Raphael said as he turned back to the amulet.  “You’d think Heaven couldn’t function without them when all they want is just to be left alone at this point.  C’mon.  Let’s get back to this.”</p><p>Suddenly he was on the ground, laying flat on his back as Avira clambered off of him, urgently yelling that a whole landscape with demons in it existed within the amulet.  He sat up, got his wind back, and climbed to his feet, wondering what the heavens just happened.</p><p>“I think it’s Hell.  Or at least a small part of it, because I imagine Hell is a big Realm like we are.  It fits Crowley’s descriptions from when he’s told me stories – awful, barren landscape, buildings that look like they’re going to fall down, lit by red light, and there were like five demons coming towards me.  I don’t know if they actually <em> saw </em>me, but I wasn’t going to take the chance.  I just decided to get out of there.”</p><p>“That was reckless.  I ought to bench you for a while for pulling such a prank,” Michael yelled at her. </p><p>“What choice did I have?  I couldn’t do battle alone with five demons,” she replied.  “I would have been torn to shreds.”</p><p>“Hey Mike, just calm down,” said Raphael.  “She couldn’t stay there, and by finding her way out, she brought us valuable information.”  He paused a moment, looking frustrated.  “If only we could get that to Crowley.  It would give him something to work with.”</p><p>Michael gave him a seriously angry look then started walking over to the Seraphim.  They needed to know that the amulet was probably at fault here and had already sucked in at least a portion of Hell.  He didn’t know how things could get worse.  It seemed very possible that if they couldn’t figure this out, the magic that was released would end up destroying the two Realms.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>“I’m asking nicely,” said Beelzebub.  “I could be a real bitch about it, throw up a ring of hellfire around your angel lover here and demand you two help out.  But I’m not.  I’m asking you to help spearhead the search for answerzz.”</p><p>Crowley still looked on edge as if he was about to jump over the desk and strangle his former boss despite creatures of Hell not requiring oxygen to survive.  Unclenching his fists, he ran a hand roughly through his hair in his anger.</p><p>Aziraphale almost automatically sent calming mental waves in his direction.  With a smile he turned towards Beelzebub.  “I’m one of the best researchers Heaven has to offer.  Let me at your library and I’ll do my best to try to find ways to counter this threat.”</p><p>“No!” Crowley bit out.  “Absolutely not.”</p><p>“Ok,” replied Beelzebub, ignoring Crowley.  “I doubt any demon researcher’zz going to want to work with you, but I can get you a comfortable room with everything you need and have bookzz brought up to you.  It would probably be better that way so you stay safe.”</p><p>“That’s no better than holding him hostage,” growled the ex-demon.</p><p>“He’zz going to be in hostile territory and he’ll need protection,” countered Beelzebub.  “He’ll have bodyguards, yes, but he’ll be free to come and go as he needzz.  If he wishezz to be guided to an entrance to return to Heaven, he’ll be allowed.  I swear it.”</p><p>Aziraphale hurriedly followed up Beelzebub’s contingency plan with nonverbal thoughts of confidence to the love of his life.  Crowley sent back fear and concern. </p><p>
  <em> Nothing is going to happen to you.  I promise. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’m not being held prisoner.  We need to help them.  These problems are connected.  I do love you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I love you, too, angel.  See you soon. </em>
</p><p>Suddenly he shone with Divine Light so strong Beelzebub stumbled backwards.  “The Grace tells me Aziraphale needs to stay down here for now, but I warn you that if any harm comes to him, you will pay dearly for it.  I <em> will </em>tear Hell apart.”</p><p>Crowley flared so brightly not even Aziraphale could look at him.  His former boss appeared terrified. She hid her face from him, all but cowering in the corner at his display of power.</p><p>Looking at Aziraphale one last time as if he were memorizing his features, Crowley reluctantly stalked out of the office to wait in the hallway.  Beelzebub would pay dearly for this if Aziraphale was harmed in any way.</p><p>Back in Beelzebub’s office, two guards were called in.</p><p>“Thizz is Azziraphale.  Do you two mind being bodyguardzz to an angel for a while?” the Lord of Hell asked.  “He’zz volunteered to help us out and is to be treated with the utmost respect, understand?”</p><p>Neither demon had a problem with that.  Beelzebub nodded.</p><p>“Take him to the waiting room down the hall from my office and make sure he’zz comfortable,” she said to them.  Turning to Aziraphale she said, “If you need anything at all, let uzz know.  Your bodyguardzz will be stationed outside your door.  They can escort you around if you want to go anywhere or get you what you need.”</p><p>Aziraphale nodded.  “Thank you.”</p><p>“I’ll have a research assistant bring you some bookzz,” she replied.  “Good luck.”</p><p>He left with Crowley and the bodyguards, parting ways with his partner at the waiting room assigned to him.  They hugged before Crowley headed back out, reluctant to leave him.  </p><p><em> Be careful.  I don’t trust her, </em> said Crowley.</p><p>
  <em> I’ll be fine. Let me know if you find anything. </em>
</p><p>The private mental link helped.  Aziraphale was able to comfort Crowley and reassure him that although he was a heavily guarded individual, he was not at all a prisoner of Hell. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Cleaning Up the Mess</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aziraphale is still helping Hell out while Crowley is back in Heaven, frustrated, scared for his partner and needed to help bring down the curtain.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry I am spamming people so much this week!  I've gotten involved in a lot of writing activities.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cursing the fact that one could not transport within the boundaries of Hell thanks to spells put on the Realm by a paranoid Satan himself, Crowley threw himself skyward, passing from the infernal plane to the celestial one.  Landing at the edges of Heaven, he transported himself to the main square in the First Circle where all the action was taking place.</p><p>Gone were the white wings and contacts.  He had returned fully to his usual look, including sunglasses.  It didn’t matter anymore.  Most of Heaven’s population had been herded off to other Circles so the leadership could work in peace. </p><p>“He fucking volunteered to stay down there to research and I don’t trust them,” he growled to nobody in particular as most of them looked up from the pile of tomes on the makeshift table by the energy curtain.  The angels working on trying to breach the curtain kept at their task.</p><p>Avira ran over to give Crowley a hug.  He tolerated it, mostly because it was her.</p><p>“Oh, God, no!  Why would he do that?”</p><p>Others were on their way over but when a few of the Seraphim approached, Crowley bared his teeth in a sneer at them, his aura becoming so bright they felt it was in their best interest to back off.  “I will only tolerate so many angels in my presence at once.”</p><p>In the end he allowed Avira near him, and Raphael.  With some coaxing, he permitted Michael to join their little conclave, but no more.  Avira and Raphael, being Aziraphale’s friends, looked distressed.  Michael, being more aloof, just looked downright angry.</p><p>“So this is all linked,” Crowley said after all information was exchanged.  “And in that . . . thing . . . is the portion of the Ninth Circle they’re missing Downstairs.  Great.  How do I make this right?”</p><p>“Crowley, we all need to work to make this right.  It’s not all on your shoulders despite prophecy and whatever,” Raphael said.  “I think we need to start by taking that curtain apart.  Avira said it’s a net, so maybe we can unravel it strand by strand.”</p><p>“Fine.  Let’s do it.  You all link with me and let me take the brunt,” replied Crowley, heading to the barrier.</p><p>Michael ran after him, catching up.  “I don’t want to sound like some kind of asshole here or something, but why when you have two Archangels are you, a Virtue, going to be the one to connect with it?”</p><p>Crowley held out a slim hand vertically.  “Link with me and you’ll find out.”</p><p>Tentatively the Archangel placed his palm against Crowley’s.  Closing his eyes, he focused his mind on the silhouette of Crowley in front of him, finding that it was crawling with the power of a Seraph, bright, shining and stronger than any other Seraph he had linked to.  With a gasp, he dropped the link, looking Crowley in the eyes, which he could barely see behind those dark glasses. </p><p>The ex-demon smiled ironically.  “Apparently another little gift from God.  I’m starting to feel a tad ungracious about them, though, since they always seem to come with such strings.”</p><p><em> I might be able to link my power with you, too, mentally</em>, he heard Aziraphale say. </p><p>
  <em> Don’t you dare do anything that’ll compromise your ability to fight your way out of Hell if you need to. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’m fine.  I’m not a prisoner here, Crowley. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I give up. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Buck up now.  We’re going to solve this. </em>
</p><p>Crowley just gritted his teeth.  Aziraphale could probably feel his frustration.</p><p>“We have Aziraphale, too, if he can manage to feed us energy through the mental link.  He says he’s ok and Hell’s hospitality isn’t too shabby.”</p><p>Chamuel appeared, pulling Michael aside while Crowley was communicating with Aziraphale.  She wore a concerned look on her face.</p><p>“What is it?” asked Michael quietly.</p><p>“Patrols have come back with reports of armed demons gathering at the borders near Elysium.  They’re not wasting any time,” Chamuel replied just as softly.</p><p>“Any movement yet or are they just sitting there?”</p><p>“No movement yet.”</p><p>Michael raked his hands through his hair in frustration.  “Bastards.  They’ll attack as soon as we fail, if that happens.  Can you prepare as many angels as possible for battle?  I need to help out here then I’ll join you.”</p><p>“I will.  Join us as soon as you can.”  She quickly flew off.</p><p>“What?” asked Crowley.</p><p>“Hell’s got troops on the border.”</p><p>“Oh no,” breathed Avira while Raphael looked downright angry.  Crowley just let out a string of curses.</p><p>“Let’s get this over with.  We’ll need the angels on the other side if it comes down to fighting,” said Michael.  He motioned to Crowley to lead the way. </p><p>They gathered beside the energy curtain, all ready to link to Crowley so he could work.  Sinking into trances one by one, the Archangels and Avira prepared to feed him any power he needed to overcome the curtain. </p><p>Aziraphale linked his powers with Crowley mentally. </p><p>“Here goes nothing,” he muttered and on a magical level, “stepped” into the curtain. </p><p>He entered a sickly green environment made up completely of the wild, angry magic that formerly was meant to supply the border protection spell.  Touching a string of it with a tendril of his own boosted power, Crowley almost fell backwards in shock.  It was strong and fought him fiercely.  Pulling offered power from the others, he grabbed a hold of it, perhaps foolishly, and began to slowly unravel it.</p><p>
  <em> You’re doing great.  Pull on that big piece over there and you’ll take down a large section of it. </em>
</p><p>Aziraphale was watching him work through his own eyes.  Was there nothing that angel wouldn’t do to help him?  Love and irritation that Aziraphale might be stretching himself thin at a time when that wasn’t a good idea filled Crowley with fear.</p><p>
  <em> Stay calm, Crowley.  What I do, I do to get us out of this pickle. </em>
</p><p>Crowley grasped the weakened portion of the energy curtain and pulled with all his might.  The netting of power resisted, sending aftershocks of pain into him.  He could feel his grip loosening, his mind starting to go black just as he was making progress, but felt his backup pour even more into him.  Tightening the hold he had on the curtain, he mentally screamed as he finally tore it loose, physically collapsing as the entire barrier began to unravel.</p><p>Just when he thought all was lost and he was going to either have to let go or get sucked in by a powerful yet angry force, he felt more “hands” take hold of the curtain.  The Seraphim had linked together, too, and once they figured out what he was up to, had joined in.  With all of them in play, the malignant energy didn’t stand a chance.  It ripped even further, creating a large hole where a loose string had been.</p><p>Crowley finally had to let go.  He stumbled back, swayed a moment, standing there with his hands braced on his knees.</p><p>
  <em> Just take a moment.  Don’t overexert yourself, love.  Rest for a bit. </em>
</p><p>Raphael was beside him, a hand on his shoulder.  “Crowley, are you ok?”</p><p>“Been better,” he panted.  “I think we made a small hole in it.”</p><p>“You did better than that,” Raphael replied.  “We have a sizable hole people can walk through. The energy isn’t acting so hostile anymore, and I think others can take over from here.”</p><p>“Good.  Because you people need to freaking learn to take care of things yourself.  I’m tired of being given all the special powers and responsibilities just so I can clean up other people’s messes.  I’m betting Aziraphale is, too.”</p><p>He stalked off to the makeshift meeting area they had set up, sliding into a convenient chair.  Resting his elbows on the table in front of him, he took a moment to bask in Aziraphale’s love and return it, the two of them simply sharing supportive feelings through their mental link.  He missed and feared for his angel.  The amulet that started it all stared at him mockingly from the center of the table he sat at.  Now the big question was . . . how was he going to get the Ninth Circle of Hell out of <em> that </em>?</p><p>Avira scooted into a chair beside him, now that she had recovered somewhat from giving up her power to help tear down the curtain.  “You shouldn’t have to do this.  They should be contributing, too.”</p><p>“I have to.  To get Aziraphale back,” Crowley muttered.  “He’ll sit down there researching until he solves the problem.”</p><p>“How’s he holding up?  Hell can’t be an easy place for an angel to be alone.”</p><p>Crowley got that faraway look on his face he always did when he was mentally communicating with Aziraphale.  “He says he’s ok.  They’ve given him some comfortable quarters and are leaving him alone.  I just wish he could transport out of there if things get dodgy, but you can’t get in or out of Hell that way.”</p><p>“Well, let’s get to this.  These spell books have got to contain <em> something </em>.”  She picked one up and started scanning pages.</p><p>Raphael and Michael soon joined them.  Michael gave Crowley a quick clap on the shoulder; Crowley looked up at him to see what he wanted.</p><p>“I have to go prepare the battalions.  Good luck,” he said before heading off again, followed by several lower-ranking angels in war gear.</p><p>“Yeah . . . same . . .” Crowley still wasn’t used to Michael being cordial towards him.  He picked up the amulet.</p><p>“About that,” said Raphael.  “We unraveled a lot of the energy surrounding the core, but it sucked Avira in when she tried to get the last of it, but maybe it was because of the portion of Hell in it or something.  We’ve found nothing on this thing in the books we’ve had others going through in the library.”</p><p>Crowley turned to Avira.  “It just sucked you in?  Didn’t hurt you or anything?”</p><p>“No.  I just ended up in Hell, basically, but Hell-in-a-bottle.  It was just like you described it.”</p><p>Raphael excused himself to go see how they were doing at the library, which was right next door to Head Offices.  “I want to see what progress has been made.  We need to know how to heal that column and get Hell back in one piece before everything comes to war.  Especially with Aziraphale as a potential hostage.”</p><p>“You didn’t hear?” asked Chamuel as she was passing by to take a turn at tearing away the curtain more.  “Jorien figured out how to heal the column.  It’s in one piece but we don’t know how to get the magic back into it.  And those at the library may have found a spell to bring Hell back.  They’re having the Archivist read it over before bringing the book out.”</p><p>Crowley muttered something about bureaucracy, adding out loud, “You do know a Seraph is on the line here and not just any Seraph.  <em>My </em>Seraph.”  He paused as if unable to continue.</p><p>Avira rose, realizing just how scared for Aziraphale’s wellbeing Crowley was, unfounded or not.  “I’m going to go tell them we need that book <em> now</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>The room they had given him was nice and comfortable, for a given definition of “comfortable” in Hell.  The furniture wasn’t too worn and the window looked out on the barren landscape rather than the dilapidated buildings that were crowded upon it.  But despite not being a prison, it started to feel like one to Aziraphale.  He was the most closely guarded being in Hell right now.  Even the window and doors were warded as extra protection for him to keep ambush attacks from angry demons from occurring.</p><p>So this is what it was like to be behind enemy lines.  He was beginning to regret his decision, but he wasn’t going to back out now.  He’d do his job so he could get back to Crowley.</p><p>Refusing to just sit around twiddling his thumbs while waiting for the books to arrive, he got up out of the chair he had seated himself in while his guards chatted with him a bit about amenities to start double-checking the wards.  He went over to the corner closest to the window, prepared a small spell for finding weaknesses in magical defenses, and started going over the room slowly just to make sure all the wards were strong.  It was done more for Crowley than himself because feeling Crowley’s worry for his safety was just too unbearable.</p><p>Soon, spell books from Hell’s library were delivered by a couple of demons who wondered why a Seraph, of all beings, was helping them.  Thanking them without adding explanation, Aziraphale got to work.  He didn’t expect to be bitten by a book the moment he opened it, though.  Maybe this wasn’t one of his better thought-out ideas.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>“Crowley!  We got it!”  Avira was running towards him waving a rather old-looking book in a manner that would have caused Aziraphale to have a fit if he had seen her. </p><p>The ex-demon stood up.  “Will that really get the portion of Hell back?”</p><p>“We’re pretty sure,” she replied. </p><p>She laid it open on the table where they both could look at it.  It was just the two of them with the Seraphim busy ripping down the curtain, Raphael healing them and Michael seeing to Heaven’s defenses.  Crowley bent over it, looking at the complicated spell with a low whistle.  The sunglasses came off so he could squint at it closer.</p><p>“Damn.  I sure hope we can pull that off.”  He read through the entire thing.  “We have to do this spell around the amulet while doing it simultaneously where the bottled up location is to be returned.”</p><p>
  <em> Aziraphale. </em>
</p><p>There was a long pause before he got an answer followed by a slight feeling that the angel was pulling himself away from some interesting reading. </p><p>
  <em> Yes? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Look at this spell, will you? </em>
</p><p>He experienced the weird feeling he always got when Aziraphale was gazing through his eyes.  It was a little disorienting, but such a useful feature.  He could almost feel his partner reading the spell and its instructions.</p><p>
  <em> Turn the page.  I want to see if there’s a synchronizing spell since this must be done exactly at the same time if it’s to succeed. </em>
</p><p>Crowley obliged.</p><p>
  <em> Ah, yes.  That would be it.  Thank you.  We can do this, no problem.  I’ll just have to handle things down here and you take care of drawing it around the amulet.  Let me see if I can miracle a copy of those pages into being . . . there, I have them both.  We can practice.  First, I’m going to ask my bodyguards to take me to Beelzebub.  I will talk to you in a bit.  Listen in if you’re not busy. </em>
</p><p>The angel cut active contact, leaving Crowley to keenly feel their separation.  Avira gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>In Beelzebub’s office, Aziraphale laid the copied spells down for her to peruse.  She looked them over, interested.  After a moment she laid them back down, clasping her hands together on the desk before her.</p><p>“Thizz’ll get Hell back?”</p><p>“Yes.  We’re fairly certain.  But it’ll take two persons performing the spell – one here in front of the Ninth Circle and one drawing it around the amulet and they must be in perfect sync.  You’ll have to let me do it.”</p><p>“You know that’zz not going to happen.  If you’re hurt in any way, Crowley’ll have my head.”</p><p>Aziraphale shrugged, trying his best to look casual about the whole situation.  “Very well, then you’re not only not going to get that portion of Hell back, it’s very likely that more of Hell will continue to disappear.  Only Crowley and I have the ability to do this spell since the amulet is not physically here.”</p><p>Beelzebub shrugged.  “If that’zz the way you’re going to be . . . It won’t matter once we’ve taken Heaven.  My troops are preparing.  I have no other choice if this doezzn’t work.”</p><p>“Honestly, Beelzebub.  Do you truly believe that the Almighty is just going to allow you to take over Heaven?”</p><p>“The Almighty has exiled Herself!”  The demon lord pounded her desk in emphasis.  “We’ve been left to our own devicezz for over five thousand years now.  Why would She show up now?”</p><p>“Because she didn’t let your lot or mine tear apart the Realms with the Antichrist and plans for War for one,” Aziraphale calmly replied, placing his hands behind his back and rocking on his heels where he stood.  “Then a couple of years later she intervened on Crowley’s behalf, getting him released from Hell’s employment after she put him and I on the path to help prevent the Apocalypse.  She’s been rather active lately for Her, hasn’t She?  She probably wouldn’t appreciate you double-crossing us, either, once this is all done.  I think there’s more to Crowley’s threat than shining with Divine Light.”</p><p>Beelzebub’s icy blue stare took on an apprehensive look.  The flies circling her head seemed to slow down their flight.</p><p>“You don’t have to worry about my safety.  It’s not like I’m going to wander all over Hell causing problems for you and my bodyguards, anyway.  I’ll be happy to stay in my room unless necessity dictates otherwise.  I will need a practice space and some chalk to create the runes with.  I don’t think that’s asking too much, do you?  After all, we’re doing this for you.”</p><p>Looking defeated, Hell’s Second-in-Command agreed with him.  Aziraphale kept himself from cracking a triumphant smile.</p><p>“Thank you.  Now, I’d appreciate it if you could find some spot I can practice in that’s not too far away.  The closer I stay to my room, the better it will be, I think.”</p><p><em> That’s my angel</em>, Crowley said proudly in the back of his mind.</p><p>He would get his wish before the hour was up.  It wasn’t much longer and he was out in front of the building that housed his temporary quarters with chalk drawing rune after rune on the pavement.  Inside his head he could feel Crowley looking at the complicated sigils through his sky blue eyes.  They were so connected right now he could sense the ex-demon rubbing his temples. </p><p>
  <em> So, I don’t have to learn the main spell?  The synchronization spell will keep us in time and if you’re the lead, I’ll just automatically copy you?  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Yes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Good. </em>
</p><p>Crowley was having trouble with the really fiddly bits of the spell, but complex spell casting using runes was not his thing.  That was Aziraphale’s area.  He was the one who had spent most of his time holed up in a bookshop reading about everything under the sun.</p><p>
  <em> I’ll learn as much as I can with you.  It can’t hurt.  But how much longer is it going to take, do you think?  We’ve been at this for hours. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I don’t know.  I just know it needs to be perfect.  I know, Crowley.  We were only supposed to be in Heaven for a couple of hours and suddenly that’s turned into almost a day, I’m stuck in Hell, we’re expected to make everything right and all I want is a decent cup of cocoa and snuggles with you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> That would be nice, but make mine coffee. </em>
</p><p>Aziraphale laughed for the first time in a while.  Dusting the chalk off his hands, he went back to the pages to study the next sigil that would be created.  He and Crowley discussed the making of the runes for it in detail.</p><p>
  <em> Is that line slightly curved at the top or straight? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Straight. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Ok.  See that one there?  To the right of it?  Does that have one squiggle coming off of it or two? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> One, but I don’t think it’s called a squiggle. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Whatever.  It looks like a squiggle to me. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It’s all based on Enochian. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I never got involved with the big spells.  I spent my time messing people about in minor ways.  More fun that way. </em>
</p><p>Aziraphale sighed.  <em> Just pay attention, please. </em></p><p>They continued in this manner for several more hours until both of them had run through several pieces of chalk and stared at sigils until they no longer wanted to look at anything resembling an Enochian-based spell.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Crowley’s upper half lay on the table, the book in front of him, his head resting on his arms when Avira returned from getting status reports from the others working on their projects.  She tapped him on the shoulder without getting much response beyond him turning his head and looking at her with one bleary serpentine eye.  She plucked up the sunglasses lying above the book and handed them to him, knowing how uncomfortable he was around anyone but Aziraphale without them.</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“How’s it going?” she asked.</p><p>“I think we’re going to do this soon.  Just taking a break first.”</p><p>“Michael is with the troops down by Elysium.  The curtain is almost down but the magic is just hanging around inert in strings that seem to lead back to you, so there’s another problem to solve once we have Hell off our backs. Raph’s just making sure everyone is not overexerting themselves.”</p><p>“Great.”  He put his head back down, albeit more carefully this time since he had his glasses on.  “Just give me a few minutes or so to clear my mind and I’ll be ready.  Need to get Aziraphale out of Hell.”</p><p>“I’ll go grab more chalk and find us a quiet area to do the spell.”  She was off again before he could say anything more.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Aziraphale and his bodyguards had been shown to the Ninth Circle by one very nervous demon who left quickly after saying Beelzebub would be there shortly.  He cooled his heels for a while, complaining to Crowley about her tardiness until she finally decided to show up.</p><p>
  <em> She’s here.  We can get ready. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Typical.  She loves to show up late.  Just another way to show she’s in charge.  Ok.  I’m listening in. </em>
</p><p>For whatever odd reason, listening in didn’t produce the strange sensation looking in did.  Neither one of them understood that. </p><p>“Azziraphale,” she greeted him curtly.</p><p>“Beelzebub,” he returned with coolness.</p><p>
  <em> Ready Crowley?  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Yep. </em>
</p><p>Without another word to his audience, Aziraphale chanted the synchronization spell while Crowley did the exact same thing up in Heaven, with the angel taking the leader chant and the ex-demon the follower.  When the last words left their lips, Aziraphale raised his arm and Crowley found that his lifted as well.</p><p><em> We’re synched</em>, he told his partner.</p><p>“That shouldn’t be possible . . .” said a stunned Beelzebub, who sensed the spell working.  “You’re too far apart.”</p><p>“We break all the rules,” replied Aziraphale.  “I’m going to start drawing now.”</p><p>Paper in hand, he carefully drew out the runes, Crowley looking on in amazement Upstairs as his hand wrote out rune after rune without input from his brain.  He relaxed his arm and let Aziraphale work through him.  It took about a half hour to complete the sigils with Aziraphale’s expertise. </p><p>“You’re not moving your arm at all, are you?” Avira asked as she looked on.</p><p>“No.  It’s all Aziraphale.”</p><p>She pushed her purple-streaked hair out of her face.  “That is so weird.”</p><p>
  <em> Crowley, pay attention and check over the work, please.  See if you catch any discrepancies. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It looks ok to me, but you’re the expert.  I might be missing something. </em>
</p><p>There was a five-minute pause while Aziraphale double-checked his work as well.  Finally, Crowley felt him stir in his mind again.</p><p>
  <em> Put the amulet in the middle. </em>
</p><p>Aziraphale settled in behind Crowley’s eyes as the former demon reached for the amulet Avira held.  She handed it over then walked back a few meters as she had agreed to do when she had told Crowley she was coming along with him.  He gingerly set the amulet in the center of the spell, waiting for something, anything to occur.</p><p>
  <em> Get back, please, Crowley.  Go join Avira. </em>
</p><p>Downstairs Aziraphale backed off as he saw Crowley set the amulet in the correct place among the sigils making up the spell.  Beelzebub followed behind even though Aziraphale said not one word to her.  With a glare towards her, he stretched out all six of his wings, keeping her from standing too close to him.  She ruffled her four and walked away from him.   </p><p>A brilliant green light filled the horizon, followed by a <em> whoosh </em> of air that forced both angel and demon to shield their faces with their wings.  Aziraphale shook the dirt off his feathers before taking to the air.</p><p>“Come on!”</p><p>Not used to being ordered around much, let alone by a Principality-turned-Seraph, Beelzebub blinked at the retreating form of Aziraphale before following him.  They streaked over the Ninth Circle, eventually reaching the border where the missing portions had disappeared from.  Aziraphale surveyed the returned areas, glowing a fading green as the spell dissipated and the restored Ninth Circle settled back into place.  Beelzebub hovered there, mouth open in shock. </p><p>“You . . . did it,” she said. </p><p>“Yes, <em> Crowley </em>and I rather did.  Now I would like to know where the exit is.” </p><p>“I need you to stay a bit longer, Azziraphale, please.  If you can.”</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“I didn’t send those troops up to Heaven to scout.  I just told Hell to prepare for war.”</p><p>“Oh, dear.”</p><p>They flew back to Beelzebub’s office to have a discussion.  Aziraphale would carry what she told him back to Heaven.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Keeping the Balance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aziraphale returns with the truth about Hell's troops and the rogue energy loose in Heaven uses Crowley to its advantage.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Crowley flew at top speed towards the edge of Heaven where Aziraphale entered, eager beyond anything to have him back safe and sound.  He pulled Aziraphale into his embrace almost before the angel had touched down, running his hands through his white-blond hair, burying his face against the side of his neck.  Aziraphale hugged him back just as fiercely, turning his head enough to kiss Crowley somewhere about his ear.</p><p>“My wonderful angel . . .  I thought I might possibly lose you.”  Crowley’s voice was muffled.</p><p>“I’m fine and nothing was going to happen, Crowley.  You act like Hell kidnapped me, but we still need to help.  Beelzebub didn’t send the troops up here.  That’s a rogue battalion of demons looking to take over Heaven.”</p><p>“You might not have come back from Hell.  How could you have taken such a risk?”</p><p>“Crowley, forget about that for now.  Face in the game, as the humans say.”  Aziraphale kissed him full on the lips.  “I have news so we should head back.  I’ll fill you in on the way.”</p><p>“It’s ‘head in the game,’ Aziraphale,” Crowley sighed as they flew back.</p><p>Soon Aziraphale was standing in front of all the Archangels and Seraphim in the conference room at Head Offices relaying to them what Beelzebub had told him.</p><p>“Hell thought Heaven was behind the disappearances of portions of their Ninth Circle.  Beelzebub had their troops prepare for war, sent up a couple of scouts and did all the shenanigans with the amulet.  That is all.  The troops we’re seeing gathering on the edge of Heaven are rogue.  They’re not following orders.”</p><p>“The sooner we figure out how to get that barrier back up, the better,” said Jorien.</p><p>In Aziraphale’s office, Crowley cooled his heels waiting for the meeting to end.  Avira found him there feet up on the desk, mobile out.  She knocked on the open door, entering when he looked up.</p><p>“What?” he asked.</p><p>“Just waiting around like you, that’s all.”</p><p>“Do I look like I want company?”</p><p>“I don’t know.  You always look slightly annoyed.”</p><p>He rather hated that she could go toe to toe with him.  “Fine, sit down.  Just don’t expect me to be sociable.  Shouldn’t you be suiting up for battle anyway, Demon Tracker?”</p><p>“I’ve been assigned to help you and Aziraphale.  They want to keep me off the front lines,” she replied.  “I’m good at my job.”</p><p>“How nice.”  The fact that some people were considered too special to fight didn’t improve Crowley’s opinion of Heaven any.</p><p>He got up to leave.</p><p>“Where are you going?”</p><p>“I’m going to take a look at the column.  As much as I’d rather do nothing, the leadership in this place doesn’t seem to know how to get their heads out of their arses to accomplish anything.  I want that barrier back up so I can finally go home.”</p><p>He stalked off towards the square where the glass column sat looking like little more than a glass column rather than the source of living energy it had appeared to be while the Ceremony was taking place.  Once there, he climbed the dais to examine it, seeing nothing out of the ordinary even when he used a bit of his power to look deeper at it than he could with mere sight.</p><p>Crowley about kicked it in frustration but stopped short when it vibrated with a thrumming sound in response to his bad mood.  He stared at it a bit puzzled, hearing a vibration that sounded almost like a question.</p><p>“What did you say about the energy from that blasted curtain?” he asked Avira, who had followed him out.</p><p>“That it was inert?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“It was linked to you?”</p><p>“That’s it.  Is it possible to put it back in the column?”</p><p>“Beats me.  I’m just a Tracker.”</p><p>Crowley glared at her.  “Some use you are.”</p><p>“You know what?  I told you the energy was linked to you somehow.  That’s all the information I have and at least I was willing to share it with you.  A lot of angels wouldn’t have.”</p><p>Fuming, she marched back off to the Head Offices to wait in Aziraphale’s office in case he needed her for anything once the meeting was over.  Whatever Crowley was up to, she wasn’t going to be part of anymore.  Screw him.  He could go it alone.  Crowley just blankly watched her leave then turned his attention back to the column.  It was calm now, mimicking his current state of mind.</p><p>
  <em>Aziraphale.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m still a little busy, Crowley.  Can this wait?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>For a bit.  I can get the column to respond to me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You what?  All right, then.  I will try my best to wrap this up.  Give me two shakes of a lamb’s tail.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ok.  Get a wiggle on.</em>
</p><p>To his satisfaction, Crowley felt mild irritation from his partner at his sarcastic use of that phrase.  Once again left cooling his heels, he sat on the steps leading up to the dais and picked an app on his mobile to pass the time.  He looked up once in a while, irritated, towards the glass column.  It would hum in dissonant tones back at him.</p><p>“Shut up,” he muttered to it, not noticing the encroaching magic.</p><p>He stuck his nose back in his mobile while the tendrils of magic that were meant to keep the barrier going another thousand years now approached him.  By the time he looked up from his screen, they were wrapped around his body like snakes, created out of energy slithering over his skin and clothing.  Jumping to his feet, he attempted to brush the power off.  The feeling of it was bizarre, like he was being enveloped in static.  A slight hiss was becoming audible and the touch of it was like the tingle of a limb that had fallen asleep.  He winced at such touch, wishing they’d go back to keeping to themselves.  He didn’t need magic following him around like affectionate pets.</p><p>“What do you want?” he demanded as he unproductively tried to sweep the power away from his skin like it was a physical object.  Being that they weren’t tangible, his hands went right through these particular snakes.</p><p>They were no longer a sickly green now that they were pulsating with life and colour.  They were a bright emerald shade similar to the colour of Crowley’s scales when he had camouflaged himself in the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil all those millennia ago.  They kept up their dance around him, wrapping closer, attaching themselves to his already substantial power and this turn of events was starting to concern him.  He expressed his displeasure to this strange magic that acted sentient, sending bursts of his own miracling ability at them.</p><p>“Get off!”</p><p>
  <em>Aziraphale!  I really need you!  Now!</em>
</p><p>In his meeting with the other leaders of Heaven, Aziraphale felt the mental connection completely cut off.  This wasn’t the same sensation he received when Crowley put up a mental wall during a temper tantrum or withdrew to concentrate on something else.  This was how it felt before the unusual mental link had been established.  The angel suddenly felt very alone in his own mind, the comforting presence of his partner gone in an instant.  Panicking, he fled the room without an explanation to his fellow Seraphim or Archangels.</p><p><em>It feels like he’s gone.  He </em>can’t <em>be gone because there is nothing up here that could mortally hurt him.  Oh Lord, he can’t be gone. </em></p><p>On the horizon standing near the dais was Crowley, but what Aziraphale saw made him stop his headlong rush forward, sky blue eyes open wide in shock.  “Crowley?”</p><p>Crowley’s wings were glowing green while his eyes, missing their sunglasses, radiated an eerie yellow light.  He stood there stiffly, hands at his sides, staring straight ahead with no expression on his face.  He didn’t acknowledge Aziraphale’s question or even his presence.  Aziraphale went to put a hand on his shoulder to jostle him back into reality, but encountered a shock centimeters before he even touched him.  Crowley turned his head to look at him – through him more like it – still blank-faced and stiff.  Aziraphale stood there absolutely horrified, his mind scrambling to deduce what had occurred to his beloved.</p><p>“Crowley?”</p><p>An angel Aziraphale didn’t know landed near them, wings creating a puff of air that caused Aziraphale to turn around to face her.  She eyed Crowley with a puzzled look then addressed Aziraphale.</p><p>“Seraph, I’ve come from the border near Elysium,” she said.  “Fighting has broken out.  So far we’re holding off the demons trying to cross into Heaven.  I was sent to inform Archangel Michael of the situation.”</p><p>“Yes, indeed,” Aziraphale replied shortly, upset at the interruption.  “He’s in the conference room in the Head Office.”</p><p>“Is he ok?”  She pointed to Crowley.</p><p>“I don’t know!  I’m trying to figure it out!  Please, just quit distracting me!”</p><p>She gave him a side-long gaze as she ran towards the Head Office.  Irritated, he watched her to make sure she was not going to get in the way again then turned back towards Crowley.  With robotic movement, the former demon was walking stiffly up the dais towards the column that hummed at him in a beautiful melodic tone.  Hurrying after him, Aziraphale caught up to Crowley, desperately trying to question the ex-demon as he marched forward.</p><p>“Crowley?  What are you doing?  Please stop and tell me what is going on.”  Aziraphale nearly fell up the stairs as he kept his attention on Crowley rather than his feet.  “Crowley?  Snap out of it, my dear.  Please?”</p><p>Crowley had reached the empty glass column, arms reaching out to it while it hummed a welcoming note that all but deafened Aziraphale and the crowd that was beginning to gather in the square.  Fingertips brushing the glass lightly, Crowley reached his destination, the hum building to a crescendo louder than anything heard previously in Heaven.  Even ten million singing angels could not have matched  the massive sound coming out of it.  It would have crumbled buildings on Earth to dust, flattened trees and liquefied the organs of every living creature.</p><p>Crowley’s body stiffened as the green light that swirled around his wings discharged into the column with a brightness that blinded anyone looking directly at it.  Aziraphale shielded his eyes in horror as he heard Crowley scream, an animalistic noise that cut into Aziraphale’s very soul.  The released power shot into the column, after which Crowley collapsed.  The column throbbed with life a moment before power burst forth from it in a ring of fast-moving magic that raced over the square and headed out of the city towards the edges of Heaven.</p><p>Upon seeing the column react, Aziraphale had flung himself to the ground, the power flying over his prone body to miss actually hitting him by a split second.  He was up as soon as it passed, scrambling over to his fallen partner, his heart pounding in his throat as he heard blood rush in his ears.</p><p>“Crowley!”  </p><p>Aziraphale’s shaking hands reached out to pick him off up the pavement, inspecting him for any sign of harm.  He was breathing, much to Aziraphale’s relief, and the angel laid his forehead against Crowley’s limp shoulder where he almost cried with relief.  Gathered gently up into his arms, Crowley feebly raised an arm to clumsily pat Aziraphale somewhere in the vicinity of his upper arm.  He was gazing at him, brow wrinkled in a confused stare.</p><p>“It’s so cliché, but I have to ask . . . What happened?” groaned Crowley as he sat up. </p><p>“I have no idea other than that you apparently took on the dissipated magic from the energy curtain and it was controlling you, maybe?  It was using your body and I was cut off from you mentally,” Aziraphale kissed his forehead.  “I can’t bear that.  Never leave me like that again, Crowley.”</p><p>“Ok?  I’ll try not to?”  Crowley again pawed Aziraphale vaguely on the shoulder before trying to stand up.  Aziraphale got up first and gave him a hand.</p><p>“Are you all right?” </p><p>“I’ll be fine.”  He wobbled just a bit before regaining control of his body.  “See?  Fine.”</p><p>Jorien was at the dais inspecting the column very carefully with a couple of the other Seraphim and Archangels.  Others had left to make checks to other magical sources of power.  In it still swirled smoke-like motes of emerald green energy.  She gave it one last caress before turning to the assembled leadership. </p><p>“It appears the barrier’s back.  We need someone to go to the border or a scout to report.”</p><p>“There’s still fighting on the borders,” said Michael, looking up from his mobile where he was going over messages sent to him by the troops he had deployed.  “I’m going to head back there.  I’ll let you know about the barrier.”</p><p>Crowley groaned rather dramatically.  “I’ll go talk to Beelzebub.  Tell her to get her army up here to take care of it.”</p><p>“No,” said Aziraphale firmly.  “You’re staying here.  You’ve been through quite a lot, my love.  I won’t have you running around like this anymore.  We don’t know what that magic did to you.”</p><p>Raphael stepped up, gesturing to Crowley.  “May I?”  He put his hands to his temples, reading for any kind of injuries with Crowley’s reluctant consent.  “Those Seraph powers saved you.  Had you been at Virtue levels, channeling all that power would have burnt you out to the point of discorporation.  You would have had to wait here in Heaven until your power reservoirs refilled enough it was safe to give you a body again.  I don’t know how long that would have taken.”</p><p>“Are they gone, then?”</p><p>“No.  They were strong enough to stay with you after doing what they needed to do.”  Raphael broke into a bit of a smile.  “Congrats.  We can now give you the title of Most Powerful Angel in Heaven.”</p><p>“I don’t want it,” said Crowley, walking away.  He needed to go talk to Beelzebub again.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>“Crowley, what can I do for you?” asked Hell’s Second-in-Command when her ex-employee burst angrily into her office.</p><p>“Call off your troops.”</p><p>“What do you mean?  They’re rogue,” she replied, looking confused.</p><p>“And yet here you sit in your office not acting a bit concerned over it.  I remember a time when you punished any demon who stepped out of line just the smallest amount.”  Crowley leaned forward, his hands on her desk, Divine Light burning from within them.</p><p>Standing up to scramble as far away from the Light as possible, Beelzebub stared at the handprints he was scorching into her desk.</p><p>“Recall them now or you’re not going to like what I’ll do,” Crowley snarled.  “I’ll let you save face.  Keep your secret for now, but you’re mine.  No more of this bullshit.  Hell exists to keep the balance.  Do what you want, but do not jeopardize Earth or Heaven, understand?”</p><p>She nodded but couldn’t help adding, “And what about Heaven?  Do they have to stick to their role, too?”</p><p>“There are no roles.  Only the one rule that the balance is not to be disturbed.  And I won’t hesitate to stop them if they try to upset that balance, either.  Now send up some other troops to fake round up the ones up there and I’ll keep what I know to myself.”</p><p>He turned to leave.</p><p>“Crowley?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“How did you know?”</p><p>“I spent millennia as your minion.  Did you think I didn’t have you figured out by now?  Hell was disappearing; you were scared so you decided Heaven looked like good real estate.  It had nothing to do with Heaven supposedly causing problems at all.  You knew what was going on the entire time.  Fuck the balance of things, right?  Not on my watch.”  And he walked out of Hell for the last time.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>It took the rest of the day to quell the fighting and Hell’s troops to return to Downstairs where they belonged.  The angels backed off, allowing the newer troops sent up to act their way through gathering up the so-called rogue ones.  Michael’s troops kept on alert, though, flaming swords out ready to strike if needed.  But Hell packed up and left quietly.  Finally everything back to status quo leaving Crowley beyond anxious to flee back to his beloved patch of Earth with his angel.</p><p>“We shouldn’t have to solve their problems.  It’s been one after the other lately, angel,” he said, talking softly off to the side with Aziraphale.  “First it was those blasted cursed spell books, then the Apocalypse and now this mess.  I’m done.  What you do is your business, but I’m now officially retired.”</p><p>“You won’t have to go on any more wild goose chases.  Or do the Ceremony again,” said Aziraphale.  “Jorien tells me that the protection barrier looks to be permanent.”</p><p>“I wasn’t going to do the Ceremony again, anyway.  After what I just did for Heaven, I was looking to renegotiate my contract.”  Crowley leaned heavily on his partner, nuzzling in to feel Aziraphale’s softness.  “I just want to go home, angel.  Go home and be left in peace.”</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>A fire crackled in the fireplace on this chilly night flickering warm cozy light onto the couch where sat two figures under a tartan blanket – the slightly taller, thinner one cuddling up to the shorter, plumper one like he was suffering from a serious case of skin hunger.  Aziraphale absent mindedly stroked Crowley’s flaming red hair as he read by the light of the fire.  Crowley peacefully dozed on and off, enjoying the touch.</p><p>“Are you all right, my love?”  Aziraphale asked as he turned the page.  “You seem rather . . . clingy tonight.”</p><p>“I’m just tired of this, angel.  Well, not <em>this</em>, obviously, but of the problems we have to keep solving to keep the balance.  They can all just play nicely with each other now, can’t they?  And why did Evangeline have that amulet in the first place?  It was Hellish power in there.  What was <em>she </em>planning with it?”</p><p>“I don’t think any of us will ever know, to be honest.”  Aziraphale put down his book to look at him.  “Quit worrying about it.  You overthink things to the point you give yourself headaches.”</p><p>He stroked Crowley’s hair, the love of his life closing his eyes in pleasure at the soft touch.  Crowley managed to burrow in deeper, cuddling as close as possible to Aziraphale.  Aziraphale kissed the top of his head.  “Something is still bothering you.”</p><p>“I could have lost you.”</p><p>Aziraphale believed Crowley was being overdramatic about his little voluntary stint in Hell, even though it was a bit of a risk.  But he let it lie since tonight was turning out to be too nice of an evening to argue about it.</p><p>“The feeling’s mutual.  I was extremely frightened when you were possessed by that energy.”</p><p>“We should just get it over with and get married.”  The sentence was blurted out faster than Aziraphale had ever heard Crowley speak.</p><p>The angel stared at him a little unbelievingly.  “Did I hear you right?”</p><p>“Maybe.  What do you think?”</p><p>“Are you being sarcastic or do you want my opinion?”</p><p>“Opinion.”  Crowley’s answer was soft, muffled by the blanket he had buried himself in even further.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Serpentine eyes blinked at him in surprise from over the edge of the blanket.  “Seriously?”</p><p>“Yes, my love.  I’m serious.  I’ve never loved anyone but you and I never will.  Why not make it official?” He pulled the blanket down far enough to reach Crowley’s lips, bringing him in close for a loving kiss.  Crowley hummed his pleasure in return.  “But you do know Raphael, Avira and Jorien will want to attend for sure.  Gabriel, probably, because he’s a busybody.  Maybe a few others in the Leadership Choirs.  Do you mind?”</p><p>“I’ll tolerate it.  But we’re not getting married in Heaven.”  Crowley paused.  “Gabriel will want to officiate.”  The distasteful curl of his lip told Aziraphale that he wasn’t exactly happy with that.</p><p>“If we give him that task to do, he’s less likely to stick his nose in the planning of it,” replied Aziraphale.</p><p>Crowley thought on this as he stared into the fireplace’s flames.  “True.”</p><p>“We’ll worry about it later.  Now that we’re engaged we should celebrate.”  Suddenly Aziraphale was holding two champagne flutes and a chilled bottle of very expensive champagne appeared on the coffee table. </p><p>“I was thinking more of celebrating in a different way, to be honest,” said Crowley, but he took a champagne flute and reached for the bottle.  “But you did go through Hell, quite literally, so I’ll let you off the hook for the blowjobs.”</p><p>“Who said I wanted to be let off the hook?”  Holding out his glass as Crowley poured, he gave his brand new fiancé quite the seductive look.</p><p>Crowley could have taken him up on the offer right then and there, thanks to that cute smile of his.  He loved how it lit up his cherubic face with its upturned nose and twinkling sky blue eyes all framed by a cloud of curly white-blond hair.  Glasses were raised in toast to their engagement  before Crowley begged for a smooch, reaching forward for a long loving somewhat greedy kiss. </p><p><em>Mine</em>, he thought in a giddy possessive manner, hoping that statement didn’t bleed through the connection to come to Aziraphale’s attention.</p><p>
  <em>Yes, yours.  Always yours.  And you’re mine.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Recall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Metatron throws a spanner in the works.  Aziraphale is recalled to Heaven and an inquiry is scheduled to decide if he can marry Crowley.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm taking off for a holiday. Have a good one! Look for responses to comments Tuesday.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Even in bed they were the oddest couple – Crowley wearing a pair of black silk boxers, if he bothered to wear anything to sleep in; Aziraphale in his crisp white Victorian-style nightshirt that Crowley could never get him to update.  But there was a silver lining to that cloud – at least he didn’t wear some kind of nightcap with it.  Crowley would have died of embarrassment as hard as that was for an immortal being.</p><p>They were avoiding getting up despite having tasks that needed to be completed today. </p><p>“I’ve got to get to Heaven to hand out invitations,” muttered Aziraphale.  “How are you coming along on choosing flowers for the ceremony?”</p><p>“I’ll conjure up something we both like.  Not that big of a deal.  At least we don’t need to worry about catering.  We’re the only ones who eat.”  Crowley inserted a finger between buttons on Aziraphale’s nightshirt to trace a pattern on the skin he found below.</p><p>“I’m betting only Raphael and Avira will stay any length of time.  And Raphael does so enjoy a good scotch.”</p><p>“Then we’ll make sure some is on hand,” replied Crowley.  “You wanna?”</p><p>“You’re something else,” said Aziraphale.</p><p>“Yes and you want to marry me.”  Crowley’s teeth teased at Aziraphale’s earlobe.</p><p>“Mmmm, I must be daft.”  His resolve was crumbling under Crowley’s ministrations.</p><p>Soon they were tangled under the covers, arms wrapped around the other as they lay facing each other.  Crowley’s mouth was on Aziraphale’s, nibbling carefully at his bottom lip.  Aziraphale had his hand in Crowley’s hair, stroking it while Crowley lightly scratched Aziraphale’s back where his wings met his body, the angel moaning in response to the erotic feelings of having that particular area touched.  His tongue was thrusting into Crowley’s mouth rather persistently with the touch.  Crowley was always amused when erotic touching affected how Aziraphale kissed.  He imagined the gorgeous flushed look on Aziraphale’s face as his fingers wandered down Aziraphale’s back to find the sensitive spots near his hips. </p><p><em>You’re so cute when I get you all worked up</em>, he sent.</p><p>He got a mental huff in reply and some doubling down on the snogging.  That he didn’t mind at all.  Feeling mischievous, he dug his fingernails into the angel’s plump hips.  Aziraphale gave a small cry, stiffening in response.  Disappearing beneath the covers entirely, Crowley tasted his way down Aziraphale’s body, pausing to kiss around his pudgy sensitive inner thighs before surprising Aziraphale by moving further down.</p><p>The angel jumped in surprise to feel Crowley caress the back of his knees, his fingers curling up so he could lightly scratch the sensitive area between the tendons.  Crowley’s reward was a longing moan from Aziraphale.  Snaking around underneath of him, he kissed that inviting indent, letting his lips linger there before applying his tongue.  Licking up it, he felt muscles tighten as Aziraphale wiggled comically in response to having a strange erogenous zone touched.  Crowley kept his chuckles to himself, difficult as that was.  He decided that was enough for now and wiggled his way back out to nuzzle close, feeling Aziraphale resume his own touching of him, searching up and down his sides for areas that sparked Crowley’s interest.  He didn’t get much of a chance to explore.</p><p>Crowley rolled over on top of him, spreading Aziraphale’s legs with his knee and rubbing his inner thigh just enough to get his reaction.  The angel closed his sky blue eyes with a moan.  Crowley rubbed a bit harder, smiling slightly as he did so.</p><p>Leaning forward, he placed quick little kisses on Aziraphale, shifting slightly so he could enter him.  The angel spread his legs a little more, welcoming Crowley in with a soft moan while his fingers ran through Crowley’s red hair.  The ex-demon looked lovingly down at him – the angel was biting his lower lip with closed eyes – and thought he was the most beautiful being in the entire world. </p><p><em>This is an absolute wonder, you know</em>, he sent to Aziraphale.  <em>You.  Me.  Being able to share our love like this.  When did we get so human?</em></p><p>
  <em>When we learned what amazing things they do with each other. </em>
</p><p>Crowley practically worshipped his beautiful angel then, kissing wherever he could touch while physically inside of him, giving and feeling in return the physical manifestations of love, multiplied magnificently by their unique mental connection.  It was wonderous to be able to do things like run his fingers across Aziraphale’s chest and get an echo back of exactly what he was experiencing from that touch. </p><p>Silver wings beat erotically, manifested without effort in response to the strong emotions racing between him and Aziraphale as they made love.  A couple of coverts shook loose, floating down to land on the bed, one alighting nearly on Aziraphale’s pale, curly hair.  Light and darker together.</p><p>In them, light and dark were merged physically, an expression of a love once forbidden.  Crowley had resigned himself to the belief that the day they were free to do so would never come.  Now he savoured every day they had together.  He closed his eyes, opened his mind wider to Aziraphale and came with body, mind and soul, feeling Aziraphale come with him.  Such moments were more spiritual than any others he would ever experience.</p><p>It was a long time before they could separate from each other in order to get out of bed.  Unfortunately, their respective tasks for the day awaited them.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Jorien’s meeting with the Metatron was not going well.  She rubbed her temples in frustration while he paced her office ranting.  Really she just wished he’d sit his pompous self down and discuss things like a rational being.</p><p>“Marriage is a human institution.  Who do they think they are?” he was saying.  “I tolerated a relationship between them because they are different, but this is going too far.  What kind of precedent is this going to set for the Host?”</p><p>“The Host for the most part doesn’t know,” sighed Jorien.  “What’s it matter?  They’re down on Earth doing their own thing and few are the wiser.  After being used as cosmic chess pieces, I think they have a right to some happiness.”</p><p>“They can be happy without breaking every rule known to angel.  How about that?” the Metatron replied.  “What if word <em>does</em> get around that one of the Seraphim is involved with another supernatural being?  And how do we explain that being is the former Serpent of Eden?”</p><p>“A couple of rings are going to make a difference?  I don’t think so.  Listen, the Host knows about Aziraphale’s promotion and that he decided to still be in charge of watching over Earth.  The only ones who go down there on a regular basis are Demon Trackers.  Everyone else basically does their jobs up here.”  Jorien shrugged.  She was about ready to end this meeting because he was making little sense.  “And even angels who go to Earth don’t know where Aziraphale is, what he’s up to, nor do they really care.  They go down there, perform their missions and come home.  They’re not snooping around looking for dirt on the newest Seraph.”</p><p>“We follow a code of conduct.”</p><p>“We’re supposed to have free will.  Those two are the only ones who have managed to realize it fully.  The rest of us are just starting to figure it out.”</p><p>“We can’t have angels in relationships with other angels!”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>The Metatron glared at her as if she ought to understand his point without him explaining it.  “It’s just not done!”</p><p>She sighed.  “The Almighty stepped back so we could forge our own way.  Otherwise we’re just mindless automatons.  To Hell with the rules.  There are too many of them, anyway.”</p><p>She rose from her desk and gestured at the door.  He took the hint the meeting was over.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Aziraphale turned the parchment envelope over in his hands, having come in from getting the mail.</p><p>“What is it?” asked Crowley.</p><p>“We’ve been summoned to Heaven to answer questions about our relationship and upcoming marriage,” he replied upon opening and reading it.</p><p>Crowley took another sip of wine and put his feet on the coffee table.  “Forget it.”</p><p>“I believe it would be best to head up there if only to see what is going on with them,” sighed Aziraphale.  “But I do agree this is getting ridiculous.”</p><p>“I’m staying here.  They can go fuck themselves.”</p><p>“That language is not necessary, Crowley,” Aziraphale rebuked him primly before heading out.</p><p>About fifteen minutes later, he was meeting with Jorien in her office.</p><p>“I will <em>not</em> have this,” Aziraphale’s rare temper was showing in Jorien’s office after she explained the whole situation to him.  “A trial?  To decide if we can marry?  This is preposterous, for Heaven’s sake.  We’re already<em> in</em> a relationship.  We’re just affirming it.”</p><p>Jorien held up her hands.  “You’re preaching to the choir, Aziraphale, but Metatron’s pushing it.  You know how he can be.”</p><p>“I am very tempted to give him a piece of my mind.”</p><p>“I think you need to stay here and cool down for a bit,” said Jorien.  “You go in there half-cocked and he’s going to hand your head to you.”</p><p>Aziraphale’s six wings ruffled in his irritation.  “I wish I didn’t have this leadership position.  Why do we need eight Seraphs on the Council?  Why can’t I just be treated like a Principality again?”</p><p>Jorien regarded him from behind her desk with a steady gaze.  “That’s not now it works.  We were created to be leaders.”</p><p>“I wasn’t.  I developed a Seraph’s power to save Crowley, and myself for that matter, from destruction,” he replied.  “And really, this is all nothing but twaddle.  One’s Choir and number of wings shouldn’t determine who’d make a good leader.  There are lesser-ranked angels who are wonderful leaders in their own right and higher-ranked ones who couldn’t lead anyone out of a bag if they needed to.”</p><p>She looked back at him with a shrug showing how irritated she was by the situation as well.  “I can’t change any of that as much as I wish I could.  It’s the way things are run by the Metatron and we can’t make him see reason.”</p><p>He stood up, taking a moment to straighten his bowtie and smooth down his waistcoat.  Heading for the door he said, “Thank you for the talk, but I believe I’m going to go to the Metatron and simply resign my position.  I’d like to just be Earth’s representative again.”</p><p>Jorien tripped over her chair trying to get up to stop him.  “Aziraphale!  That’s the worst idea I’ve heard out of you yet!  Aziraphale!”</p><p>But he had made it to the hallway before she could untangle herself from the mess.  Looking down at her sprained ankle, she resorted to muttering to herself about his stupidity before healing it.</p><p>While Jorien was taking care of her injury, Aziraphale was marching to the Metatron’s office to tell him exactly what he thought of all this.  Walking past his secretary with a cool nod, he knocked on the door, entering when he got a response. </p><p>“I’ve been expecting you, Aziraphale,” said the Metatron looking up from his paperwork. </p><p>“I resign from the Council effective immediately.  I wish to be nothing more than Earth’s representative,” said Aziraphale in his best non-nonsense tones, placing his hands behind his back to help control the fidgeting he tended to engage in when nervous.</p><p>“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”</p><p>“It is very possible.  Heaven operated just fine for thousands of years without me in a position of leadership.”</p><p>The Metatron gave him a measuring look.  “It’s highly unusual for angels to be . . . promoted . . . In fact, you’re the first. But all the same, Seraphim sit on the Council.  You are a Seraph now, so you are part of the Council.  There’s no question about this.  This is how it’s always been.”</p><p>“But it doesn’t <em>have </em>to be.  Why can’t we choose our positions instead of being assigned and having to just accept that?” asked Aziraphale.</p><p>“You, as the newest of the Seraphim, have no right to go around asking such impertinent questions,” snapped the Metatron.  “I’m reassigning you back up here.  You apparently need to learn what it means to be a Seraph.  I’ll have one of my assistants to get some quarters ready for you.  Crowley will be permitted to join you as God knows we’d never be able to separate you two.  You’re dismissed.  You may go wait in your office until they are ready.  Crowley can bring up anything you want.”</p><p>“With all due respect, I’m going to head back down to Earth where my home and my fiancé are.  I said I resign my position as a member of the Council and I meant it.”  Aziraphale was shaking with anger he could not express to the Head of the Seraphim. </p><p>“I have had enough of this disobedience!”  The Metatron pounded his desk.  “You’ve been trouble since you let that Serpent into the Garden and it stops now!  It’s time to step up and be a leader, Aziraphale.  That’s the path laid out before you.  And I suggest you do it or I’ll look into tearing up that contract Heaven has with Crowley.”</p><p><em>Angel?</em> Crowley asked.  He could feel Aziraphale’s unusual anger through their bond. </p><p>
  <em>Can you get up here straight away?  It’ll be easier to explain in person.  Meet me in my office.</em>
</p><p>It didn’t take long for Crowley to fly up.  He came bursting into Aziraphale’s office, his face etched with concern. </p><p>“What happened?” he asked as his wings gradually changed from white to silver now that they were in private.</p><p>If they could have turned red in response to Crowley’s anger after Aziraphale relayed the whole exchange, they would have.  His eyes sparked as he tried to contain himself for Aziraphale’s sake.  Pacing the floor, he breathed in and out a few times in an attempt to compose himself.</p><p>“I want to go talk to him,” he said to his fiancé calmly.</p><p>“Crowley, please, no.  We’re in a fine enough mess already,” Aziraphale begged, his unconscious hand wringing giving away his nervousness.</p><p>A knock on the door made Aziraphale thankful he had closed it.  Going over to open it, he found the Metatron on the other side.  Stiffly, he gestured for him to enter.</p><p>“What do you want?” asked Crowley from his spot sitting on Aziraphale’s desk.</p><p>
  <em>I thought you wanted to talk to him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I do.  It doesn't mean I’m going to be polite.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Crowley . . .</em>
</p><p>“Just to talk,” the Metatron replied.  “I want to ask you two to knock off this nonsense and just call off the wedding, please.  This is most irregular and it disrupts decorum.  Isn’t it enough you’re in a relationship?”</p><p>“I’m not going to have my life dictated to me by Heaven anymore than I wanted it dictated to me by Hell.  I fail to see how this is going to affect anything.  As far as I know no other supernatural beings have developed feelings for each other, but if they did and wanted to get married, what does it matter?  Heaven is not going to crumble because of it,” replied Crowley.</p><p>“Then this goes to trial.  Aziraphale, you are reassigned to Heaven until that happens.  Crowley may stay if he wishes.”</p><p>“What about my contract?” asked Crowley.  “I seem to recall negotiating that he always has the option to remain on Earth.”</p><p>“And I have the option of cancelling all that if I so desire. You seem to forget who’s in charge here, Crowley.”</p><p>“God?” asked Crowley innocently. </p><p>Aziraphale’s breath caught as he stood next to him. The angel was shocked even he would go that far.</p><p>
  <em>What are you doing?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Not backing down.</em>
</p><p>The Metatron left with only an angry glare in Crowley’s direction.</p><p>Resigned to staying up here for the time being, they settled into the quarters assigned to them after he left.  Crowley was grumpy about having to stay in Heaven. </p><p>“We should just head home,” he groused as he cast a critical eye over the soft pastel décor of the place.  Why didn’t they believe in colour around here?  He resisted the urge to turn everything into a brighter shade just to be adverse.</p><p>“If it weren’t for your contract, I would suggest we do just that,” Aziraphale replied, looking over the sparse quarters.</p><p>It was basically just a lounge with an office-like room off to the side.  Angels didn’t normally require kitchens, bathrooms or bedrooms.  Quarters were just a place you hung out when you had nothing else to do with your time.</p><p>“Want me to head down and get something to eat?  Maybe some reading material?” Crowley asked with a grin.  “You’re the one stuck here; I’m still free to come and go.”</p><p>“Please, dear?  Some curry sounds good right about now.  And you know what I’m currently reading, right?”</p><p>“Yep.  It’s on the table beside your chair.”</p><p>“Thank you.”  Aziraphale gave him a kiss before he left.</p><p>He tried to settle comfortably on the couch with six wings to be mindful of.  It wasn’t easy, but he managed once he was able to fold up two pairs.  Quite the design flaw if you asked him.  Dealing with two giant wings was enough of a challenge without adding auxiliary pairs.  He sat there uncomfortably until he couldn’t stand the feel of awkwardly positioned wings any longer. Giving up, he found other tasks to do.</p><p>He busied himself creating a large bed for the office since Crowley, at least, was going to want to sleep occasionally.  He miracled up some bedding, creating it in shades of grey and crimson because all the pastels upset Crowley so.  The carpet became extremely plush and a light grey colour.  Satisfied, Aziraphale worked on creating a bathroom with at least a tub in it so he could soak in a bubble bath while he waited. </p><p>A knock on the door had him thinking Crowley had returned.  Wondering why he didn’t just walk in, he went to answer it.  Avira was standing on the other side.</p><p>“Oh.  Hello.  I really wasn’t expecting company,” he said.  “Come on in.”</p><p>She entered and plopped on the couch.  “Where’s Crowley?”</p><p>“He went back to Earth to get a few things.  I imagine he’ll be back within the hour.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t let them push you around like that.  You have just as much power as a Seraph as the rest of ‘em,” she said, getting comfortable by drawing her feet up under her.</p><p>“I worry about them rescinding Crowley’s contract.”</p><p>“They can’t, you know.  You worry too much.  The Metatron knows that and uses it against you,” Avira replied.  “They’d be in breach.  Don’t you have any legal knowledge?  You’re a bookworm.”</p><p>“I specialize in prophecies, not legalese,” Aziraphale replied.  “Would you like any tea?  I was just about to miracle myself up a cup.”</p><p>“No thanks.  Never got into the stuff myself,” Avira replied.  “Anyway, what I was saying . . . don’t let yourself get played, ok?  The Metatron’ll use that contract to keep you two in line.  Don’t let him.”</p><p>“I hear he’s calling for a trial to decide if we can even get married or not,” Aziraphale sat down with a steaming mug of tea.  “I think that is moot.  We’re already in a relationship.  What does it matter if we want to make it official?”</p><p>“Everything you do goes against tradition.  I’ve never seen anyone so tradition-bound as him.  He threw a fit when I dyed my hair purple until I told him I needed to fit in with a younger human crowd to catch a certain demon,” Avira replied.  “Yes I kept it.  I like it and I know it gets to him but he’s ridiculous.  He’s not the all-high leader of Heaven.  It’s supposed to be run by the Council, not just him.”</p><p>“Yes, well . . . but what do you do?”</p><p>They fell into discussion of other subjects passing the time until Crowley sent mentally to Aziraphale that he was on his way back.  Avira said she needed to get going, excusing herself to allow them time alone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Resolution</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aziraphale and Crowley outwit the Metatron and return to Earth to have their wedding.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aziraphale waited in the quarters, nervously pacing.  Crowley simply was silently furious as his partner tried his best to mentally smooth his ruffled feathers.  He could have physically smoothed Crowley’s feathers, as the ex-demon was so upset his wing feathers were slightly raised.</p>
<p>Finally he could stand the sight of Crowley’s pincushion-like feathers no more and decided to act upon it.  Catching the ex-demon by the shoulder, he guided him to the coffee table, sat him down on it and sat behind him working knotted muscles in his shoulders and neck. Using just a small touch of healing power, he found the tight areas he then kneaded into a more relaxed state before moving on to the next tense knotted mass.  Pressing his fingers in deeply, he felt Crowley relax from the massage.  He saw the glossy, silver feathers slowly start to lay down flat.  The repetitive movements of his own hands helped soothe his nerves as well.  Pressing and pushing.  Kneading Crowley’s shoulders like they were dough. His own mind was drawn into watching his fingers work until he felt somewhat calmer himself.</p>
<p>“There.  That is better, isn’t it?”  He kissed along Crowley’s neck.  “It’s uncomfortable to have your feathers standing up like that.  Once we’re done with this, I’ll give you a nice scratch between your wings.”</p>
<p>Crowley turned to kiss him back fully on the lips.  That space between wings was an erogenous zone for both of them.  <em>Promise?</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Promise.</em>
</p>
<p>Avira knocked at their door.  “Guys?  They’re ready for you.”</p>
<p>The two of them headed out, Aziraphale thanking her on the way, Crowley nodding with a smile.  They walked the short distance to the conference room in the Head Office which was only a block from the building their assigned quarters were in.  Entering, they found it expanded and rearranged.  Two chairs at a small table sat facing several larger tables with enough seating for the entire Council.</p>
<p>Crowley slouched in one of the chairs at the smaller table, his face unreadable.  Aziraphale sat in the other one, looking angrier than any being had seen him in a while.  He was better known for being flustered in the presence of his superiors.  The Council faced them, some looking rather uncomfortable at this whole situation.</p>
<p>The Metatron, of course, had seated himself in all his important glory in the center chair where he stared out impassively at the two beings facing him.  Neither one of them paid him any attention until the proceedings began.</p>
<p>“We have gathered here today to ask and answer the question on the marriage between the Seraph Aziraphale and the Virtue Crowley.  These two have repeatedly entered into uncharted territory, from their friendship while Crowley was still a demon, to a relationship that mirrors human behaviour, to now wanting to formalize that relationship with a ceremony created by and for humans,” the Metatron said.  “This is unprecedented.  Angels do not form such relationships, being sexless and genderless beings by nature.  We were not Created for such activities.  It is an angel’s role to guide humanity with each angel assigned to a role that best suits their talents and rank.  It is how Heaven best operates.  That operation starts to fall apart when the unexpected happens.  This trial will determine if we want the unexpected to continue to happen.”</p>
<p>The Metatron got up from his chair and walked in front of the tables staring intently at both Crowley and Aziraphale.  Aziraphale made full-on eye contact.  He couldn’t tell where Crowley was staring thanks to those dark glasses.</p>
<p>“Crowley.”  The Metatron’s tone was irritated.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“Would you take those glasses off?  We all know what your eyes look like.  There’s no need to hide behind them here,” said the Metatron.</p>
<p>“No.  I like them.”</p>
<p>The Metatron glared at him.  Crowley smiled back. </p>
<p>Pacing the space between the two tables, he chose to continue instead of arguing the point.  “Your history is unique – Fell in the Great Rebellion because that was God’s Plan for you.  You performed certain acts that needed to be done to save the world and were restored to angel status by the Almighty, am I right?”</p>
<p>“Yes.  And the point of this is?” asked Crowley.</p>
<p>“Just answer the question. You do not need to add commentary,” snapped the Metatron.  “It establishes a highly unusual history for you.  You have always felt like an exception; therefore, you do not feel the need to follow established rules that have worked for us for thousands of years.”</p>
<p>“Actually I was Created an exception by God’s Will, so maybe you need to go talk to Her about all this.  I did my job and apparently chose the right path to keep you lot from blowing everything to Kingdom Come.  And I keep doing so, as evidenced by what happened several days ago,” Crowley replied.  “In fact you gave me extra powers to help save Heaven from being taken over by Hell.  So, you might say that you, too, have treated me as an exception and benefited from doing so.  It’s only because you don’t like us bucking traditions that make you feel in charge that you’re so upset over this.”</p>
<p>“That’s enough!” boomed the Metatron.  “Aziraphale.”</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“You were assigned guard duty in the Garden of Eden, correct?”</p>
<p>“That was part of the Plan.  I was Created to have a relationship with Crowley.  He needed someone to help him along his path in life and hopefully keep him on the correct one,” replied Aziraphale. </p>
<p>“But that did not make you an exception to the rules.  You were still required to follow them as Earth’s emissary."</p>
<p>“No, but this whole becoming a Seraph business certainly is highly unusual for angels.  I do believe I am the first angel to ever get a promotion.  Quite exceptional, don’t you think?”  Aziraphale answered, looking almost pleased with himself.  “I don’t believe you’re understanding that we were both Created to get the whole free will ball rolling among the Host.  The Almighty stepped back so that free will could thrive and it was not limited to humans alone.  You seem to fail to comprehend that.  But free will in the Host also means that you lose a lot of your leadership role because you are so hidebound.”</p>
<p>“Don’t forget to mention that contract that keeps being held over our heads,” said Crowley.</p>
<p>“Oh yes, that.  Thank you,” said Aziraphale.  “Did the Council know the Metatron keeps threatening to cancel Crowley’s contract with Heaven if we do not toe his particular line?  Apparently he does not know what ‘breach of contract’ is.  At least on his part.  He’s more than willing to go after Crowley if Crowley breeches.  In fact he’s breached it right now by recalling me to Heaven.”</p>
<p>With a flourish of his arm, Crowley’s copy of the contract appeared in his hand.</p>
<p>“I negotiated that Aziraphale would never be recalled to Heaven back when that contract was made,” added Crowley.  “Aziraphale has been officially recalled by the Metatron to learn what it means to be a Seraph.”</p>
<p>The Metatron was turning red.  “I made that contract!  I can choose to rescind it upon my wishes!”</p>
<p>“Actually, you can’t,” said Jophiel from off to the side.  His department handled legal matters.  “You gave your word.  It’s binding.”</p>
<p>“Which means I have no reason to keep up this charade,” said Crowley as he stood up.  “I’m leaving.  To hell with having to choose one of two sides.  Keep your damn contract, I doubt I will need it after my last discussion with Beelzebub.  Coming, Aziraphale?”</p>
<p>He walked out, wings shining silver as he did.  Aziraphale was convinced he had poured a little power into them to create that dramatic effect.</p>
<p>“I think I agree.  I resign my position on the Council,” said Aziraphale, getting out of his chair as well.  “If you want me to still be Earth’s emissary, I will be happy to continue in that position.  But I will do no more, nor will I return to Heaven to live.  Earth is my home.”</p>
<p>He followed Crowley, walking past a Metatron too shocked to speak. </p>
<p>“You went too far, Metatron,” said Jorien after a moment of silence.  “You cannot control every aspect of every angel’s life.  It’s time for this to stop.  I move this Council rules as a whole, not as a lesser body to the Metatron.”</p>
<p>“I second!” called out Raphael.</p>
<p>There were more murmurs of assent, bringing Jorien to state, “Let’s vote on this right here, right now.”</p>
<p>“No.  There will be no change in how things are run,” bellowed the Metatron.  “I was put in charge.  I am the Voice of God, the most important of the Host.”</p>
<p>“And God isn’t here anymore, is She?” asked Michael softly.  “You have nobody to speak for.  She does well speaking for Herself when She needs to.”</p>
<p>The vote did not go well for the self-appointed leader of the Host. </p>
<p>Aziraphale and Crowley were walking hand-in-hand towards the boundary of Heaven when Jorien and Raphael flew at full-speed to catch up to them.  Landing before the pair, they told them the news.</p>
<p>Crowley’s smile verged on an outright smirk; Aziraphale just gave a solemn nod.</p>
<p>“A lot of the Council still doesn’t quite understand or approve of your marriage, but they’re starting to realize the need to allow free will to grow among the Host,” Jorien said.  “Aziraphale, I know you don’t want to be part of the Council, but would you still be a consultant for matters concerning Earth?  You wouldn’t have to do anything more than give us your opinion.”</p>
<p>Aziraphale nodded, “Yes, I think I could do that quite nicely.”</p>
<p>She smiled, took up Aziraphale’s hand and gave it a pat with a warm nod for Crowley.  “I’d be honoured to come to your wedding.  I think Gabriel and Avira plan on attending, too.”</p>
<p>“You bet I’m attending,” said Raphael.  “You two deserve this.”</p>
<p>Aziraphale just beamed in return as he squeezed Crowley’s hand.  They had finally gained complete freedom.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~*~*~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The trellis was covered in white rose blooms and green foliage made perfect by Crowley, who also had worked miracles with the rose garden it sat in front of, most of those miracles involving manual labour as opposed to demonic ones.  The bushes were a riot of blooms, mostly darker reds with whites and pale yellows mixed in because they reminded Crowley of Aziraphale’s hair.  They made for a beautiful backdrop to the two standing under the trellis before Gabriel. </p>
<p>Giving him the job of officiating had been the right thing to do.  He spent his time writing the perfect ceremony, thus keeping his nose out of the rest of the planning and off Crowley’s shit list.  Aziraphale hoped that the ceremony he had come up with wouldn’t irritate his soon-to-be husband.  Gabriel was being secretive about it, only wanting to reveal what he had written at the ceremony itself.</p>
<p>They stood there facing the rose garden, Aziraphale in a beautiful white tux, Crowley in a black one, smiling nervously at one another as Gabriel spoke.</p>
<p>“What you’ve accomplished here today is no small feat.  There have been no others of our kind who have developed such a bond between them.  Your journey began the moment you first met and it has taken you through more joy and pain than others have experienced, to lead to right here.  This day is a reminder of what your love has already accomplished, and the amazing possibilities of what it can continue to accomplish and overcome in the future.”</p>
<p><em>He can be eloquent when he wants to be</em>, said Crowley.</p>
<p><em>Hush, my dear.  We can talk later.</em>  But there was a tone of amusement in Aziraphale’s sending.</p>
<p>“Aziraphale and Crowley, please take each other’s hands and repeat after me.”  Gabriel turned first to Aziraphale.</p>
<p>“Crowley, I swear to you that I will dedicate my life from this day forward to filling our days with love and laughter.  I will celebrate your spirit and all of your accomplishments, work to inspire you and be here to remind you of your strength.  I take you today as my partner, my confidant, my other half and I will love you for the rest of my life.”</p>
<p>Aziraphale softly repeated the vows, blushing from the moment the first word left his mouth until he spoke the last one.  His sky blue eyes did not leave Crowley’s serpentine ones, threatening to spill the tears he felt building in them.  The battle to keep his emotions in check was lost as one managed to slip out down his cheek. </p>
<p>Gabriel turned to Crowley, who repeated the vows to Aziraphale, his voice shaky but clear.  His eyes sparkled with all the joy he felt as he said them.  No sunglasses today.  No armour in front of his loved one on this day, although he had debated it since there would be an audience.  They would be slipped on once the ceremony was over. </p>
<p>“Aziraphale and Crowley, do you take one another as husbands, from this day forward?”</p>
<p>“We do,” the two said in unison.</p>
<p>Gabriel was grinning from ear to ear, a far cry from his attitude towards these two not that long ago.  He was willing to look the other way as far as their friendship was concerned, but that didn’t mean he approved of it.  That began to change when he learned what sacrifices both of them made to keep the balance between the Realms.  Now he found himself unable to think of them as anything other than a pair.</p>
<p>“Aziraphale and Crowley have chosen these rings to represent the unbreakable circle of life and love. Please place them on each other’s ring fingers and repeat after me,” said Gabriel, pulling the rings out of his pocket and placing one in each of their palms.</p>
<p>“I give you this ring to remind you of this day  when in front of our closest friends we vowed that our love can overcome all things, that our love unites, inspires and celebrates  and will continue to do so for all eternity.”</p>
<p>They were almost giddy as they slipped the matching gold bands on each other’s fingers. </p>
<p>Gabriel wrapped the ceremony up.  “Aziraphale and Crowley, it is with such joy that I now pronounce you married partners.  You may kiss your husband, you two.”</p>
<p>There was clapping from the three surrounding them to witness this unprecedented event.  Crowley looked up from their first kiss to see two dark figures standing unobtrusively on the cottage’s back porch.  Accepting hugs and congratulations first from Heaven’s representatives, he excused himself a moment to see to them while Aziraphale showed his ring off to the guests.  He pulled his sunglasses from his breast pocket, resuming his armour as he strode towards them.</p>
<p>“Come to gatecrash?” Crowley asked Beelzebub and Dagon.</p>
<p>“Not at all,” said Dagon.  “No demon has had the kind of relationship you had.  We wanted to witness this.”</p>
<p>Beelzebub was silent, looking at her own feet.  She appeared uncomfortable, as if she had hoped to watch, then slip away unnoticed by the happy couple.</p>
<p>“I come with a wedding gift,” she said, finally looking up at Crowley.  “Hell will leave you alone.  We’ll do our thing, whatever that’zz supposed to be, but not only is upsetting the balance officially off limitzz, so is bothering you two in any way.  I know there are those who want their pound of flesh.  I will make sure they don’t get it.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.”  Crowley extended his hand to her. </p>
<p>She shook it.  Then he turned to Dagon to shake hers as well. </p>
<p>“Well, we best be off,” said Beelzebub.</p>
<p>“Congrats,” Dagon said with a slight smile on her sharp-toothed mouth. </p>
<p>And they both were gone. </p>
<p>Crowley blinked before turning back to the happy crowd behind him.  Aziraphale gave him a questioning look as he rejoined them, linking his fingers with the ex-demon’s, pulling him close.</p>
<p>“What was that about?”</p>
<p>“They just wanted to see me marry you and tell me that they’ll make sure no demon ever bothers us.” </p>
<p>Crowley leaned over for another kiss before leading the small selection of guests inside for champagne, if they desired it, and conversation.  All of them sat in the cozy sitting room of the cottage, talking and laughing until the early hours of the morning were upon them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. A New Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Crowley and Aziraphale enjoy their honeymoon and we fastforward to their first anniversary.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry about the delay.  I got a new laptop and this one was not converting over to Scrivener from MS Word.  I finally got it to work!  </p><p>There is blanket consent for any sexual acts that follow.  If you don’t know the term, blanket consent is when boundaries are set ahead of time so consent doesn’t need to be asked each and every time an act covered by the blanket consent occurs.  This is an established relationship, so a lot of consent is already going to have been negotiated beforehand.  This does not mean that it can’t ever be revoked or renegotiated at any point.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Angel?” asked Crowley, leaning over Aziraphale’s shoulder, breathing gently in his ear as he slept.  “Time to wake up.”</p><p>“Mmmmm, no thanks,” the angel pulled the duvet up over his head, snuggling in further with a contented sigh.</p><p>“You never used to sleep.  Now you don’t want to get up.”  Crowley cuddled up against him.  “Not even for a little fun?  This is technically our honeymoon.”</p><p>“Lemme wake up.”  But it didn’t sound like he was going to.</p><p>Crowley made a slightly irritated sound before snuggling back down for a bit more sleep.  He awoke to a gentle hand below his waist starting to work certain body parts to life.  To say it was successful was an understatement.  He rolled over to give Aziraphale better access. </p><p>“I’m just going to lie here and let you do the work if you don’t mind,” he said, just to bait the angel.</p><p>Aziraphale didn’t take it.  “That’s fine.  I can do what I want then.”</p><p>What he wanted was to totally tease Crowley with a blowjob.  Seductively, he licked every inch of Crowley’s cock, concentrating on the sensitive underside and sometimes giving his balls a little attention as well, teasing with hands and tongue.  Crowley hissed in appreciation, reaching down to caress Aziraphale’s blond curls. </p><p>Under the covers, Aziraphale closed his eyes, settling in to lick and suck in a manner that was pleasurable for both.  He could feel Crowley tense beneath him as his lust grew, taking that as a cue to pull off and tease the demon with well-placed licks and nibbles along the shaft before resuming.  The hand in his hair tightened, heightening his own sensations as he worked.</p><p>“Oh, angel . . .” breathed Crowley, who was quickly becoming incoherent.</p><p>Aziraphale reached up, scratching his nails along Crowley’s sensitive sides and was rewarded with a slight buck along with a lustful moan.  Gentle fingertips followed, then back to nails, giving Crowley sensations from tender to slightly rough. </p><p><em> To think something so human would come to mean so much to us</em>, the angel thought privately.  In other parts of his mind, he could feel Crowley’s love, his lust, his outright enjoyment of what Aziraphale was doing to him. </p><p>
  <em> Angel, I can’t last . . . </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I don’t mind.  Don’t hold back if you don’t want to. </em>
</p><p>He didn’t and soon Aziraphale came out from under the covers, his work under them done.  Crowley was sliding his long, flexible tongue into the angel’s mouth while Aziraphale sensually ran his hands over Crowley’s nipples, knowing how it made him squirm in anticipation.  He felt them harden under his ministrations, smiling at Crowley’s responses.  He pinched just that much harder, being rewarded with a surprised “oh!” from Crowley.</p><p>The continued caresses, nips, kisses and scratches felt so loving, so different after yesterday’s ceremony.  Aziraphale wondered what it was about a few words and exchange of rings in front of friends that made this act seem so much different.  There shouldn’t be a change.  Sex was sex and he felt no shame in partaking of it, married or not.  It must have been the giddiness they were feeling as a result of the ceremony.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Or maybe it was that nobody would be breathing down their necks anymore.  Both sides were finally backing off to let them just be.</p><p>Aziraphale felt Crowley wrap his legs around his hips with a contented sigh.  The angel applied some lube then carefully slid inside him, pausing a moment to just enjoy the tight warmth before settling into a relaxed lazy rhythm because there was no reason to rush this.  They moved together in perfect harmony, gazes locked on each other, hands caressing wherever could be reached.  Time stopped around them; the world that was beyond the bed ceased to exist.  The only thing that mattered was each other.  Nothing beyond their love was worth considering at this moment.</p><p>When Aziraphale finally climaxed, Crowley gazed upon him thinking his husband was the most beautiful angel to ever come into existence.  He coaxed him back down in the bed beside him, holding him tight as Aziraphale curled lovingly around him.  As far as Crowley was concerned, they could stay here forever.</p><p>He woke up to find his husband gone. </p><p>
  <em> Aziraphale? </em>
</p><p><em> In the bookshop.  Give me just a moment more and I’ll come downstairs. </em>   <em> Stay where you are.  I’ll join you. </em></p><p>Over in the bookshop, Aziraphale grabbed the bag of pastries he had stepped into London to buy, took a bottle of champagne from his wine rack in the back room and headed through the portal. </p><p>“What are you doing?” Crowley called as the sound of him rummaging around in the kitchen for plates, champagne glasses and a tray to carry it all on. </p><p>“Patience, my dear!”</p><p>“That’s overrated!”</p><p>But he didn’t have to wait long before Aziraphale entered the bedroom door carrying the tray filled with his surprises.  Crowley raised an eyebrow at him as the angel beamed in delight.</p><p>“Breakfast in bed?  Are you trying to spoil me?”</p><p>“Why wouldn’t I?  Or are you not worth spoiling?” Aziraphale set the tray down next to Crowley before climbing back into bed.</p><p>The champagne bottle appeared on Crowley’s nightstand.  He picked it up to examine, looking at his husband.  “This is from your bookshop.  One of the ones you were saving for a special occasion.”</p><p>“Of course.  If this isn’t special, what is?”  He held a pastry up to Crowley’s lips for him to sample.</p><p>Crowley indulged him, taking a bite of it before Aziraphale took one himself, giving Crowley time to pour two glasses of champagne.  He handed one to the angel before raising his in a toast.</p><p>“To us.  We got through it all,” he said with a grin.</p><p>Aziraphale clinked his glass with Crowley’s, his eyes sparkling as he laughed.  They enjoyed breakfast then lazed in bed enjoying each other until early afternoon in bed before getting up to shower, dress and heading into town for a celebratory dinner at the nicest restaurant it had to offer.  It was their day to celebrate, after all.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> A year later </em>
</p><p> </p><p>It was cold and windy on the roof of the bookshop, but that did not matter to two supernatural beings who had many ways to keep themselves warm.  They stood together on the roof looking out over the streets below.  Night owls still gathered at pubs and bars, but those who favoured the local shopping had all moved on once the quaint shops had closed until tomorrow morning.</p><p>The strong breeze annoyingly ruffled Crowley’s feathers, causing him to calm it with a wave of his hand.  This was his world; he had control of it and nothing was going to make this night anything but perfect.  Changing the weather that affected everyone in the area might be on the selfish side, but Crowley was not quite as selfish as he seemed.  His world contained one other being; the one for whom he wished everything to be perfect.</p><p>“That’s better,” he said as he caressed Aziraphale’s cheek. </p><p>The angel smiled at the touch, bringing his hand up to cover Crowley’s.  “Are you ready?”</p><p>“Let’s do this.”  Crowley launched himself skyward, Aziraphale right on his wingtip. </p><p>Great strokes of those giant wings carried them high, out of the sight of any prying eyes on the ground.  A miracle or two kept them from being seen on radar.  They found the perfect area to soar, out of the range of any aeroplanes.  Flying in modern times took more preparation than it did before technology brought humans commercial airliners.</p><p>It was so rare they flew anymore on their own wings thanks to all the trouble.  Tonight was different.  They were celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary.  Aziraphale had wanted to fly, so fly they would.</p><p>Crowley hovered at their chosen height, his glossy silver wings beating a steady rhythm as he waited for his partner to join him.  It didn’t take long before Aziraphale with his shining white wings was bobbing a bit ungracefully in front of him, all smiles.</p><p>Soon their two bodies merged, embracing each other, wings moving steadily to keep them airborne.  Crowley gently nibbled at Aziraphale’s ear, enjoying the pleasurable sigh the angel let out as he did so. Moving to his lips, he kissed him, Aziraphale responding in kind before pulling back with a laugh and bolting off across the sky.</p><p>Crowley was right behind him, feeling the same exact joy.  Keeping those white wings in view, he chased after him playfully wheeling through the air.  Aziraphale looked occasionally over his shoulder, his face showing unadulterated joy at this lively game.</p><p>He felt Crowley grab his hand and pulled him for an embrace.</p><p>“Boo,” said the ex-demon with a smile before kissing him.</p><p>“Hello, my dear,” Aziraphale replied, reaching in to nibble on Crowley’s collarbones as he ran his hands down his husband’s chest, rubbing his nipples through his shirt. </p><p>Crowley scratched sensuously at Aziraphale’s shoulders since his back was currently off-limits.  The touches shot through both of them, magnified by the excitement of doing their foreplay here on the wing with nothing but the night sky above them.</p><p>It kept up that way, teasing touches, embraces and kisses interrupted by joyous breaks where they just streaked through the air, feeling the wind in their faces and the freedom of soaring above London using their own means of transportation as opposed to human ones. </p><p>Aziraphale held Crowley’s head between his hands, bringing him in as close as possible for a long snog while the light of the city shone below them.  There was something about doing this up here.  Something that made it seem that much more special, so much more<em> theirs</em>.  They had taken a very human ritual and added their own twist to it, turning it into an activity no other beings on the planet partook in.</p><p>But it all became too much and back to the roof of the bookshop they went, landing while still embraced – as difficult as that was – lips urgently on each other’s as if this was the last time they were ever going to get to kiss.</p><p><em> You’re right, angel.  A blow job wouldn’t have worked so well up there, </em> thought Crowley during the enthusiastic kissing.</p><p><em> Mmm, would have been something, though, </em> replied Aziraphale as he led his husband off the roof and down the stairs back through the portal to the cottage’s bedroom, which was better suited for the kind of activity they were about to engage in than the tiny dusty room above the bookshop.</p><p>Carefully, carefully they sat on the bed, ever aware of the oversized wings sprouting from their backs.  Clothing vanished in an instant since foreplay was taken care of.  Now came the main course.</p><p>Crowley pulled Aziraphale on to his lap, gently pushing into him as the angel closed his eyes in pleasure.  They quickly opened as Crowley began to move, a slight smile showing on Aziraphale’s face as sensual, loving emotions shot through him, leaving him feeling giddy.  He held contact with Crowley’s beautiful golden eyes, half-lidded as he concentrated on making love to Aziraphale, indulging the angel’s need for physical contact of a carnal nature.</p><p><em> This is nothing short of perfection</em>, Crowley thought at his spouse as he broke eye contact to nibble his way across Aziraphale’s collarbones, before burying his face in his shoulder where he felt the brush of the angel’s curls on one side of his face, and the touch of feathers on the other if he turned just right. </p><p>All he got in return was mental nonverbal assurances of love.  Aziraphale was concentrating on other things too much to give a coherent response.</p><p>The angel was practically praising Crowley’s body in his own way, running his manicured fingernails over Crowley’s shoulders, creeping onto his shoulder blades and migrating into the feathers of his wings.  He stroked the silky shafts, enjoying immensely the feel of his fingertips on them, digging in deep to touch skin so Crowley got pleasure out of it, too.  There was something very intimate about wings for Aziraphale, a sensation that only increased when he played with Crowley’s during sex.  The strokes of his fingers buried down below the feathers kept time with the strokes of Crowley inside of him.  Soon he was mumbling something rather incomprehensible, but to Crowley, it sounded like a prayer. </p><p>A prayer offered up to the former demon who was making love to him rather than the One who created him.</p><p><em> It can’t feel like this and be wrong</em>, Aziraphale thought privately.  <em> I swear She made us for each other. </em></p><p>He came after a head-swimmingly long time, slowly like the loving sex they engaged in, everything in him building up to it, leaving behind physical evidence on Crowley’s hand, which was currently wrapped around his cock, of the mental and emotional ecstasy he felt.  White wings beat in the air impossibly despite Aziraphale laying on his back.  They phased in and out of the bed with their graceful movements.  Silver ones joined them as Crowley’s breathy, slightly hoarse voice praised him right back in his ear, his orgasm sending secondary waves through the angel.</p><p>They lay there in the bed for a while, wings wrapped around each other as best they could, a pile of white and silver feathers nearly hiding the humanoid bodies of soft skin covered in beads of sweat until one of them vanished all traces of wetness from them.  Sleep took them both eventually.</p><p>Upon awakening, Crowley urged Aziraphale to sit in front of him, back to him, wings out.   As far as he was concerned, Aziraphale’s wings were in constant need of a good grooming.  They looked quite ruffled after the night’s activities followed by a contented sleep.</p><p>Starting at the top, he worked his way down through Aziraphale’s coverts, straightening each one while pulling the dust off of them and grooming the vanes down so they lay flat without gaps the way feathers were supposed to.  His efforts were rewarded with a sigh of contentment.</p><p>“Sometimes I think you don’t groom them so I’ll do it for you, angel.”</p><p>Aziraphale smiled secretly to himself.  He very much did neglect them because he so enjoyed the touching, the intimate time with Crowley as he spent however long was necessary to bring Aziraphale’s wings up to his standards.  On some level, he was sure his husband knew this.</p><p>“It does feel rather pleasant to have your hands on me, I won’t lie about that,” he replied.  “And you know I’ll return the favour.”</p><p>Crowley had moved on to secondaries which were on the bottom of the wing meaning Aziraphale felt less skin-on-skin contact.  To compensate, he reached back to put a hand on Crowley’s bare knee.</p><p>But he sure did feel it when Crowley yanked a couple before convincing the follicle to quickly grow a new feather.  He jumped with a yelp.</p><p>“Sorry, angel.  You had a couple of broken ones there.  Might be from last night.”  The apology was accompanied by a few kisses to the nape of his neck.</p><p>Crowley vanished the plucked feathers, but Aziraphale knew he kept them because he kept a lot of souvenirs associated with the angel – the eagle lectern from the church that ended up destroyed in the Blitz to save Aziraphale from discorporation and Agnes Nutter’s book when the bookshop burned, to name a couple.</p><p>Who had ever heard of a sentimental demon?   Even if he wasn’t really a demon anymore?</p><p>Crowley’s arms slid around Aziraphale’s neck followed by nips on his earlobe, meaning his wings were taken care of.  Feeling both content and lustful, Crowley stroked his angel’s skin, reaching down to play with his nipples.  He felt his love for Aziraphale pulse strongly within him and knew the angel was able to sense it, too, through their unique connection.  He scratched a bit between Aziraphale’s wings in that one spot that proved to be erotic for him.  Aziraphale writhed in pleasure, whimpering just slightly. </p><p>He reached up again with his mouth to tug on a handy earlobe with his teeth.</p><p>“Put them away.  We’re just going to end up mussing them up and it would be nice if my hard work lasted a little while,” he whispered.</p><p>Slipping them back in the celestial plane, Aziraphale scooted around to face Crowley, who had already tucked his own away.  Smiling at the love of his life, he lay him down on the bed while he hovered over him touching, stroking and kissing his way down to nibble on tantalizing nipples before pulling himself up to be face to face with him.  With an adoring look, Aziraphale slid into place, showing Crowley exactly how much he loved him.</p><p>In a day or two they’d once again to settle back into the life they had built together in the privacy of this secluded patch of land by the sea.  It was a strange feeling to think after millennia of adventure, adversary and friendship-turned-love that they would take so well to a slower existence, but they had.  Retirement suited them.  If they ever wanted adventure, they had discovered it was very easy for them to make their own.  It was a big, constantly changing world, and they would never tire of exploring every corner of their beloved adopted home. </p><p> </p>
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